Psychophysiological Responses to Mental Stress in Type A and Type B Subjects With and Without a Family History of Hypertension

Prospective association of the Type A behavior pattern (TABP) with an increased incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) is well established (Cooper et al. 1981). Type A individuals are more likely than Type B individuals to develop arteriographically documented atherosclerosis (Zyzanski et al. 1976; Blumenthal et al. 1978; Frank et al. 1978), to experience either a symptomatic or an unrecognized myocardial infarction (Rosenman and Chesney 1981), and to suffer re-infarction (Jenkins et al. 1976), and sudden death (Friedman et al. 1973). They are described as hard- driving, ambitious, competitive, hostile, impatient, and hyperalert, whereas Type B individuals are defined by the relative absence of Type A attributes and are described as more relaxed, easygoing, satisfied, and unhurried (Rosenman et al. 1981). This Type A behavior pattern, which occurs in response to environmental stressors, contributes to CHD through mechanisms other than traditional risk factors such as hypertension, cholesterol, and smoking.