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Type A behaviour pattern: specific coronary risk factor or general disease-prone condition?
Insights
The Type A behavior pattern is linked to more than just heart disease. Individuals with Type A traits reported a higher incidence of various illnesses, suggesting a general predisposition to disease.
Area of Science:
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Behavioral Cardiology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The link between Type A behavior pattern and coronary heart disease (CHD) is well-established.
- However, the specificity of this association and its relation to other health conditions remain underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether Type A behavior is associated with a broader range of self-reported diseases beyond CHD.
- To determine if Type A behavior represents a general disease-prone condition.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 1949 adult participants (male and female).
- Utilized the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS) to measure Type A behavior.
- Collected self-reported data on a variety of diseases, including CHD, peptic ulcers, thyroid issues, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Main Results:
- Type A individuals reported higher rates of CHD, peptic ulcers, thyroid problems, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis compared to Type B individuals.
- Type A subjects reported a greater overall number of illnesses and a higher average number of diseases per person.
- These findings persisted despite Type A subjects being younger and potentially less likely to report symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Type A behavior pattern is associated with a wider spectrum of diseases, not exclusively CHD.
- The results suggest that Type A behavior may constitute a general risk factor for illness, indicating a broader disease-prone disposition.
Abstract:
While the association between Type A behaviour pattern and coronary heart disease (CHD) has been abundantly investigated, the question of the specificity of this association remains virtually unexplored. The present study addressed this question by examining, in a sample of 1949 male and female adults, the relationship between JAS Type A measurement and self-reported diseases (i.e. CHD, scarlatina, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, diseases of the liver, diseases of the gall-bladder, thyroid troubles, tuberculosis, peptic ulcer, renal disease, hypertension and diabetes). Type A subjects were found to report not only more CHD, but also more peptic ulcers, thyroid problems, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Globally, more Type A than Type B subjects reported having been ill, and the average number of reported diseases per person was higher among Type As than among Type Bs. These results were obtained in spite of the fact that Type A subjects in this study were markedly younger than Type Bs, and in spite of the empirically based reputation of the former to be symptom deniers rather than symptom reporters. Overall, the data supported the view that Type A behaviour pattern is a general disease-prone condition rather than merely a specific coronary risk factor.