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The relationships between dimensions of hostility and cardiovascular reactivity as a function of task characteristics
1Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
Insights
Antagonistic hostility, not neurotic hostility, is linked to significant cardiovascular changes and poorer recovery during stressful tasks. This suggests specific hostility dimensions impact cardiovascular health differently.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Behavioral Medicine
Background:
- Hostility is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Previous research suggests different dimensions of hostility may have varying impacts on health.
- Understanding these distinctions is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the independent relationships between dimensions of hostility and cardiovascular responses.
- To examine how harassment during a laboratory task influences these relationships.
- To differentiate the effects of antagonistic versus neurotic hostility on cardiovascular reactivity.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-three young males (18-26) with a family history of cardiovascular disease were recruited.
- Participants were selected based on high or low scores on the Cook and Medley Hostility scale.
- Factor analysis identified two hostility dimensions: antagonistic and neurotic hostility.
- Cardiovascular responses (systolic blood pressure, forearm blood flow) were measured during a lab task with and without harassment.
Main Results:
- High antagonistic hostility scores correlated with greater systolic blood pressure and forearm blood flow changes.
- Antagonistic hostility was also linked to poorer systolic blood pressure recovery after harassment.
- High neurotic hostility scores predicted greater forearm blood flow changes during harassment.
- Cardiovascular responses were associated with negative affect, but only in individuals with high hostility scores.
Conclusions:
- Antagonistic hostility, characterized by interpersonal conflict, appears more strongly related to adverse cardiovascular responses.
- The degree of interpersonal conflict may moderate the link between hostility and cardiovascular reactivity.
- These findings support the idea that specific facets of hostility, particularly antagonistic traits, are critical in cardiovascular risk.
Abstract:
The present study examined the independent relationships between dimensions of hostility and cardiovascular responses to a laboratory task with and without harassment. Fifty-three males, aged 18 to 26, with a negative parental history of cardiovascular disease were selected on the basis of their scores on the Cook and Medley Hostility (Ho) scale (greater than 24 or less than 14). Factor-analysis of six separate measures of hostility/anger resulted in a two-factor solution; Factor 1 representing antagonistic hostility and Factor 2 representing neurotic hostility. Results showed that high factor scores on antagonistic hostility were significantly associated with greater systolic blood pressure (SBP) and forearm blood flow (FBF) changes and poorer SBP recovery to harassment. In addition, high factor scores on neurotic hostility significantly predicted greater FBF changes to harassment. Additional correlational analysis showed that cardiovascular responses were positively associated with self-reported negative affects but only for subjects with high scores on either dimension. These results are in agreement with recent evidence suggesting that only antagonistic hostility may be related to increased severity of coronary artery disease and that the degree of interpersonal conflict moderates the association between coronary-prone behaviors and cardiovascular responses.