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Ischemic ECG changes are found more often in asymptomatic men with a coronary prone behaviour pattern
1Dept of Behavioural Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich.
Insights
Type A behavior is linked to higher risks of coronary heart disease (CHD). This study found Type A individuals showed more ischemic electrocardiographic (ECG) changes, suggesting a greater probability of heart issues and sudden death.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Behavioral Medicine
- Psychophysiology
Background:
- Type A behavior is an established independent risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD).
- Individuals with Type A behavior may exhibit more pronounced ischemic electrocardiographic (ECG) changes compared to Type B individuals.
- Electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities, assessed by the Cardiac Infarction Injury Score (CIIS), predict sudden cardiac death.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between behavior patterns (Type A, X, B) and ischemic changes on electrocardiograms (ECGs).
- To assess if Type A behavior is associated with higher Cardiac Infarction Injury Scores (CIIS) in healthy middle-aged men.
Main Methods:
- 100 healthy men aged 30-45 years were assessed.
- Behavior patterns were classified using the Structured Interview (46 Type A, 20 Type X, 34 Type B).
- Electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities were quantified using the Cardiac Infarction Injury Score (CIIS) and related to cardiovascular risk factors.
Main Results:
- The distribution of CIIS differed significantly among behavior pattern groups (p < 0.05).
- Type A subjects exhibited a shift towards higher ischemic scores on their ECGs.
- The CIIS showed a relationship with traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
Conclusions:
- Clinically asymptomatic individuals with Type A behavior demonstrate a higher likelihood of developing ischemic heart disease.
- Type A behavior may be an indicator for increased risk of sudden cardiac death.
- Behavioral patterns are significant factors in the pathophysiology of coronary heart disease.
Abstract:
Type A behaviour has been related to coronary heart disease (CHD) as an independent risk factor. Therefore, ischemic electrocardiographic (ECG) changes may be more prominent in Type A than in Type B individuals. ECG abnormalities were assessed by the Cardiac Infarction Injury Score (CIIS), which has predictive power for sudden death. In 100 healthy men aged 30-45 yr, the CIIS was related to cardiovascular risk factors such as age, blood pressure, smoking, family history of CHD and behaviour pattern groups defined by the Structured Interview (46 Type A, 20 Type X and 34 Type B subjects). The distribution of the CIIS was different among the behaviour pattern groups (p < 0.05) and was shifted towards higher ischemic scores in Type A subjects. These findings suggest that clinically asymptomatic persons with Type A behaviour have a greater probability of suffering ischemic heart disease and possible sudden death.