Type A behavior pattern is not a predictor of premature mortality.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cardiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Type A personality, defined by competitiveness and impatience, has been studied for decades.
• Previous research on Type A as a health risk factor yielded inconclusive results due to methodological limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-examine the association between Type A personality and cardiovascular (CVD) and non-cardiovascular mortality.
• Utilized a large, population-based sample of elderly males with a long follow-up period (20.6 years).
• Applied multiple Type A assessment measures at baseline.

Main Methods:

• Employed data from the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study (KIHD) of Eastern Finnish men.
• Followed 2,682 men aged 42-60 at baseline (1980s) until 2011.
• Assessed Type A using four distinct scales: Bortner, Framingham, Jenkins Activity Survey, and Finnish Type A Scale.

Main Results:

• Type A measures showed inconsistent and mostly non-significant associations with cardiovascular mortality.
• Some Type A assessments indicated a slightly decreased risk of CVD death.
• Associations with non-cardiovascular mortality were even weaker.

Conclusions:

• The study provides no evidence supporting Type A personality as a risk factor for CVD mortality.
• Findings suggest Type A behavior is not a significant predictor of non-CVD mortality.