J. Heuser
19. June 2006
The purpose of this study was to describe type A behavior pattern and trait anger in patients with myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) and compare them with patients with coronary heart disease and healthy controls. Type A behavior pattern and anger have been linked to coronary heart disease in previous studies. This is the first study to assess type A behavior pattern and trait anger in MINOCA patients.
Methods
One hundred MINOCA patients, consecutively recruited during 2007-2011 at 5 coronary care units in Stockholm, were matched for sex and age to 100 coronary heart disease patients and 100 healthy controls. All participants completed the Bortner Rating Scale to quantify type A behavior pattern and the Spielberger Trait Anger Scale to quantify anger 3 months after the acute event.
Results
MINOCA patients’ Bortner Rating Scale score was 70.9 ± 10.8 (mean ± SD) and Spielberger Trait Anger Scale score was 14 (12-17) (median; interquartile range). Coronary heart disease patients’ Bortner Rating Scale score was 70.5 ± 10.2 and Spielberger Trait Anger Scale score was 14 (12-17). Healthy controls’ Bortner Rating Scale score was 71.9 ± 9.1 and Spielberger Trait Anger Scale score was 13 (11-16).
Conclusion
We found no significant differences in Bortner Rating Scale score and Spielberger Trait Anger Scale score among MINOCA, coronary heart disease patients, and healthy controls, regardless of whether total scores, subscales, or cutoffs were used to classify type A behavior pattern and trait anger. However, we cannot exclude the existence of an occasional episode of anger or mental stress in relation to the coronary event. This is the first study to assess type A behavior pattern and trait anger in patients with MINOCA, and future studies need to confirm the current findings before any firm conclusions can be made.
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-Daniella Nero, BSca, Stefan Agewall, MD, PhDb, Maria Daniel, MDa, Kenneth Caidahl, MD, PhDc,d, Olov Collste, MD, PhDa, Christina Ekenbäck, MDe, Mats Frick, MD, PhDa, Loghman Henareh, MD, PhDf, Tomas Jernberg, MD, PhDe, Karin Malmqvist, MD, PhDe, Karin Schenck-Gustafsson, MD, PhDg, Jonas Spaak, MD, PhDe, Peder Sörensson, PhDc, Örjan Sundin, PhDh, Shams Y-Hassan, MDe, Claes Hofman-Bang, MD, PhDe, Per Tornvall, MD, PhDa
-This article originally appeared in the March issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
