Type A behavior and exercise: a follow-up study of coronary patients

Several previous studies have reported decreased Type A behavior pattern (TABP) after initiation of an exercise program. To determine if changes in TABP could be linked to exercise patterns in a cardiac rehabilitation program, both physical activity and TABP were measured in 81 male cardiac patients over a period of one year after hospitalization for an initial cardiac event. Changes in TABP scores were not associated with differences in activity patterns as measured by kilocalories per week of exercise, self-ratings of both job and leisure-time physical activity levels, or participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program. However, in Type A subjects there was a discrepancy between simple self-ratings of activity and more objective measures of exercise: subjects who had high TABP scores perceived themselves to be significantly more physically active than did subjects with lower TABP scores, even though the more objective estimates of physical activity were not associated with TABP scores.