Type A behavior, self-involvement, and coronary atherosclerosis.

Prior to coronary angiography, 150 men were assessed for Type A behavior using the structured interview and two questionnaire measures. The results show no relationship between Type A behavior and extent of coronary artery disease (CAD). A second finding is that the number of self-references (I, me, my) derived from speech in the structured interview correlated positively with the number of previous myocardial infarctions and the extent of CAD; self-references correlated negatively with time on the treadmill and catheterization ejection fraction. Multiple regression analyses show self-references to remain a significant correlate of extent of disease when controlled for age, blood pressure, cholesterol, and Type A behavior.