Dimensions of hostility and myocardial infarction in adult males.

The present case-control study investigated the association between dimensions of hostility and myocardial infarction (MI) in adult males. Hostility was measured with the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI), which assesses two distinct dimensions of hostility, namely experiential and expressive hostility. Cases were 81 males who were admitted in hospital because of a first MI. The reference group consisted of 168 age-matched, healthy male neighbourhood controls. Analyses revealed that especially experiential hostility (comprised of the subscales Resentment and Suspicion) was significantly associated with MI. These results are in contrast with the findings of previous studies, which showed expressive hostility to be positively related to coronary heart disease (CHD). Explanations for these contradictory findings are discussed.