Type A behaviour, life-events and myocardial infarction: independent or related risk factors? 1981

D G Byrne

The Type A behaviour pattern has been associated with the onset of myocardial infarction (MI). So too, though independently, has the presence of stressful life-events in the period preceding illness. The present paper examines the notion that persons characterized by the Type A behaviour pattern organize life-styles in such a way as to increase the probability of encountering stressful life-events. Significant correlations were indeed found between a measure of Type A behaviour and both reported frequency of life-events and estimates of the emotional impact of these, for a sample of 120 survivors of MI. While such retrospective data do not provide casual evidence that Type A behaviour influences MI by way of stressful life-events, they point the way to a future prospective test of this hypothesis.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008016 Life Change Events Those occurrences, including social, psychological, and environmental, which require an adjustment or effect a change in an individual's pattern of living. Life Course,Life Crises,Life Crisis,Life Experiences,Course, Life,Crisis, Life,Event, Life Change,Experience, Life,Life Change Event,Life Courses,Life Experience
D008019 Life Style Typical way of life or manner of living characteristic of an individual or group. (From APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 8th ed) Lifestyle Factors,Life Style Induced Illness,Lifestyle,Factor, Lifestyle,Life Styles,Lifestyle Factor,Lifestyles
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009203 Myocardial Infarction NECROSIS of the MYOCARDIUM caused by an obstruction of the blood supply to the heart (CORONARY CIRCULATION). Cardiovascular Stroke,Heart Attack,Myocardial Infarct,Cardiovascular Strokes,Heart Attacks,Infarct, Myocardial,Infarction, Myocardial,Infarctions, Myocardial,Infarcts, Myocardial,Myocardial Infarctions,Myocardial Infarcts,Stroke, Cardiovascular,Strokes, Cardiovascular
D010551 Personality Behavior-response patterns that characterize the individual. Personalities
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001519 Behavior The observable response of a man or animal to a situation. Acceptance Process,Acceptance Processes,Behaviors,Process, Acceptance,Processes, Acceptance
D012189 Retrospective Studies Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons. Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective

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