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Personality and coronary heart disease

R B Shekelle1, S W Vernon, A M Ostfeld

  • 1University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston.

Psychosomatic Medicine
|March 1, 1991
PubMed

Insights

Psychological distress, including neuroticism and somatic complaints, predicts uncomplicated angina but not heart attacks or coronary death. These traits may indicate a benign condition, not coronary heart disease itself.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Psychological Medicine
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Psychological distress and personality traits are explored for their association with cardiovascular disease.
  • Previous research has yielded mixed results regarding the link between psychological factors and coronary heart disease incidence and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between specific Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) variables and the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) events.
  • To examine the relationship between these psychological variables and the risk of coronary death following a myocardial infarction diagnosis.

Main Methods:

  • A 10-year prospective cohort study involving 2003 middle-aged employed men.
  • Assessment of three MMPI variables: HsK + Hy, neuroticism, and somatic complaints.
  • Analysis of incidence of uncomplicated angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and coronary death.

Main Results:

  • HsK + Hy, neuroticism, and somatic complaints were positively associated with the incidence of uncomplicated angina pectoris.
  • These psychological variables were not significantly associated with the incidence of myocardial infarction or coronary death.
  • A negative association was found between these variables and the risk of coronary death after an angina diagnosis.
  • HsK + Hy and somatic complaints were positively associated with the risk of coronary death in men who had previously survived a myocardial infarction.

Conclusions:

  • Psychological distress and somatic complaints are linked to uncomplicated angina, a condition potentially distinct from atherosclerotic coronary heart disease.
  • These traits may not increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease but could be associated with increased susceptibility to arrhythmias in individuals with existing ischemic myocardium.

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