Correlation of type A behaviour with adrenergic receptor density: implications for coronary artery disease pathogenesis.

In 17 healthy young men who had a parent with documented early coronary disease, ratings of type A behaviour correlated with upregulated lymphocyte beta 2 receptor density and inversely with the ratio of platelet alpha 2 to lymphocyte beta 2 receptor density ratio. This indicates a correlation of type A behaviour with receptor-based determinations of increased peripheral alpha-adrenergic balance, consistent with increased coronary arterial vasoconstriction, perhaps leading to coronary artery disease.