Personality Type Linked To Risk Of Death Among Individuals With Peripheral Artery Disease

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817184547.htm

ScienceDaily (Aug. 18, 2009) — A preliminary study suggests that a negative, inhibited personality type (type D personality) appears to predict an increased risk of death over four years among patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals

Peripheral arterial disease occurs when plaque builds up in arteries that supply blood to body areas other than the heart and brain, such as the extremities. However, patients with PAD also have an increased risk of secondary events such as stroke, heart attack and death, according to background information in the article. "Preliminary evidence suggests that personality traits such as hostility may also be associated with the severity and progression of atherosclerosis [plaque buildup] in patients with PAD," the authors write. "Another potential individual risk factor in this context is the distressed personality type (type D). Type D refers to the joint tendency to experience negative emotions and to inhibit self-expression in social interaction."

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Several physical and behavioral pathways may link type D personality and risk of adverse health outcomes, the authors note. The personality type has been associated with increased activation of the immune system and changes in the body's stress response system. In addition, "inadequate self-management of chronic disease is a potential behavioral mechanism that may explain the relation between type D personality and poor prognosis in cardiovascular disease," the authors write..