Coronary Heart Disease and Behavior Patterns

Abstract

The methods of research used in relating a behavior pattern to coronary heart disease, elevated serum cholesterol levels, decreased clotting time, and increased norepinephine secretion was examined, and an independent study using the earlier procedures was done. One hundred and eighty-nine men, 35–55 years old, were examined in three hospitals. Three groups were selected: (1) patients with clinical coronary heart disease, (2) those with peptic ulcer, and (3) controls having neither of these diseases. Ratings of behavior pattern were obtained without prior knowledge of medical diagnosis. Cholesterol determinations were made on 87 men in two hospitals. The polygraph procedure reported by Friedman and Rosenman was used with 65 patients in a third hospital. Among coronary patients only half were designated as the Friedman and Rosenman behavior type, although noncoronary patients were more closely associated with an inverse behavior pattern. Serum cholesterol levels were not found to be related to behavior type. The polygraph method, likewise, did not differentiate coronary patients from others. With younger patients, 35–44 years of age, interview ratings identified two-thirds of coronary victims. At 45–49 years, however, only one-third were correctly classified. When coronary patients were divided into those with angina pectoris and those having myocardial infarction, angina patients were much more closely related to the behavior type described. The high relation of interview ratings with education indicated the influence of socioeconomic status on judgments.