Type A (coronary-prone) behavior and transient blood pressure change.
A study was conducted to delineate further the physiological mechanisms underlying the type A behavior pattern's influence on coronary heart disease. It was suggested that while chronically elevated blood pressure is apparently not associated with overall A--B distinctions (at least not for males), acting in a type A fashion may be accompanied by temporary increases in blood pressure. Changes in the speech characteristics of 33 black inner-city women during the A--B interview and subsequent unstructured dialogue were analyzed at one-minute intervals and correlated with concomitant blood pressure measurements. Differences in the speech characteristics of women classified type A as opposed to B were consistent with recent studies of white males (e.g., type As spoke significantly faster than type Bs). Further, within-subject blood pressure elevations were significantly associated with louder/more explosive, longer speech episodes. Additional research is urged which examines biochemical and physiological changes as a function of type A behavior considered as a transient state as well as a relatively enduring trait.
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors; D013060:Speech; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000378:metabolism; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D044465:White People