Type A behaviour and coronary atherosclerosis.

The relation of the Type A behaviour pattern to coronary atherosclerosis was assessed in a sample of 519 coronary angiography patients. Type A measures were the Structured Interview and the Framingham questionnaire. Angiographic indices included a composite coronary occlusion index and number of coronary vessels significantly diseased. Univariate analysis involving the entire sample showed no significant relation between Type A and severity of coronary vessel disease. Analyses for two subsamples, namely males currently employed in white collar occupations and persons found to have significant disease at angiography, also failed to indicate a relationship between Type A and coronary disease. Multivariate analysis revealed sex, cholesterol and age to be risk factors for atherosclerosis; Type A behaviour was not. The implications of these findings are discussed.