AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Frequent bouts of depression, anxiety, hostility and anger are known to increase a person’s risk for developing coronary heart disease, but a combination of these “negative” personality traits may put people at especially serious risk, according to a study by researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

Detailed explanation-2: -Someone who is impatient, aggressive, and very competitive, often called a Type A personality, has a higher risk of heart disease, says Ronesh Sinha, M.D., a Palo Alto Medical Foundation internal medicine doctor. But even if you aren’t Type A, other behaviors can also put you at risk.

Detailed explanation-3: -People with a positive outlook on life are less likely to have a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular “event” than those who are pessimistic, according to a major new review and analysis of existing studies.

Detailed explanation-4: -After controlling for smoking, diabetes and other factors, the scientists found that those in the highest one-quarter of scores on pessimism were more than twice as likely to die of heart disease as those in the lowest one-quarter.

Detailed explanation-5: -The type A behavior pattern (TABP) was described in the 1950s by cardiologists Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman, who argued that TABP was an important risk factor for coronary heart disease. This theory was supported by positive findings from the Western Collaborative Group Study and the Framingham Study.