Type A factors as predictors of somatic risk factors of coronary heart disease in young Finns--a six-year follow-up study.

Type A factors related to the level of somatic risk factors of coronary heart disease were studied in 1209 healthy young Finns. They were 12-, 15- and 18-year-old adolescents who were clinically examined three times within a six-year follow-up period. The risk and non-risk groups were constructed on the basis of their risk level over three testings, separately in each somatic risk variable. Type A behavior was evaluated during the six-year follow-up using the AFMS questionnaire. The results showed that of the Type A factors 'hard-driving' had the strongest association with the somatic risk level. 'Aggression-competitiveness' was also related to the risk but not very strongly. 'Impatience' was of no importance while 'engagement-involvement' was likely to be a protective factor: a low score on it correlated with the risk.