Hostility and myocardial infarction in men

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Psychosocial Factors in Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Hostility is a personality trait that has been investigated for its potential links to cardiovascular disease.
• Previous research suggests a possible association between hostility and the risk of myocardial infarction (MI).
• Understanding the role of psychosocial factors like hostility in heart disease is crucial for comprehensive risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between hostility, measured by the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale, and the occurrence of first myocardial infarction (MI) in adult males.
• To determine if age modifies the relationship between hostility and MI risk.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study design was employed.
• Participants included 81 male patients diagnosed with their first myocardial infarction (MI) and 168 neighbourhood controls (NC).
• The Cook-Medley Hostility Scale was used to assess hostility levels in both cases and controls.

Main Results:

• While cases exhibited slightly higher hostility scores than controls, the difference was not statistically significant.
• Multivariate analysis revealed a significant interaction between hostility and age.
• Hostility was identified as a risk indicator for first MI specifically in men younger than 50 years of age.

Conclusions:

• Hostility may be an age-dependent risk indicator for myocardial infarction in men.
• The association between hostility and MI risk appears to be significant only in younger adult males (under 50).
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this age-specific relationship.