[Psychological links and coronary diseases. I. Physiological correlations of certain psychological variables (author's transl)].

Twenty-one infarct patients were compared with 21 normal subjects regarding several hemodynamic, lipidic and neuroendocrine variables, in various stress situations and at rest. Correlations were tabulated between those bioclinical measurements and various personality patterns drawn from the MMPI. This study shows that the physiological reactions to stress vary in subjects with psychological cardiovascular risk factors as compared to subjects without psychological risk factors. The bearers of psychological risk factors show a higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, a specific lipids pattern and a lower rate of platelets. In summary, psychological risk factors link with physiological reactions to stress which appear to be by themselves cardiovascular risk factors.