Association of type D personality and level of coronary artery calcification

To evaluate the association of the type D personality and the level of coronary arteries calcification in population-based sample.

1595 residents aged 25 to 64 years were recruited in a observational cross-sectional study in the period from 2012 to 2013. In addition to the ESSE-RF study protocol, we assessed the presence of a Type D personality and quantified coronary artery calcium (CAC) using multispiral computed tomography. The obtained data was analyzed by the Agatston method. The patients were divided into two groups: patients with type D personality (n = 231) and without type D (n = 1379).

CAC score differed significantly between the groups: 689.3 ± 53.7 in patients with type D and 546.5 ± 47 without type D (p = 0.04). The greatest differences of calcium score were found in the left coronary artery system, namely left anterior descending artery (p = 0.01) and circumflex artery (p = 0.03). Patients with type D had higher levels of clinically significant anxiety (p = 0.04) and depression (p = 0.02). Type D personality is associated with high levels of CAC score independently from age, sex, diabetes mellitus status, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, arterial hypertension status, cholesterol level, history of brain stroke, myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, HADS-A and HADS-D scores.

Type D personality is associated with higher average values of the CAC score, and type D may represent a potentially modifiable risk factor CAD. But it is unclear whether type D can affect the progression of CAC score.