title: Personality. Type A behavior, and the effects of beta-blockade.
abstract: In a previous report, it was shown that a dimension of personality entitled dependence/independence could be used to distinguish the cardiovascular and catecholaminergic response to stress in type A individuals. This study is a continuation of the previous work. It examines the relative effects of beta-blockade on stress-induced changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and catecholamines in two groups of type A individuals who differ in reactivity. Sixty-six healthy, middle-aged men with type A behavior were classified as dependent (high reactivity) or independent (low reactivity). The effects of beta-blockade on the two groups were tested in a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial utilizing a mental stressor, a physical stressor, and work day monitoring. Results showed that, in comparison with the independent type As, those who had been classified as dependent had higher heart rates in all three stress conditions and had higher epinephrine levels during both the mental and physical stressors. For both groups, beta-blockade lowered the heart rate and systolic blood pressure but increased norepinephrine with the mental stressor and epinephrine and norepinephrine with the physical stressor. It also reduced the mean work day heart rate. For the dependent type As, the drug had a greater effect on increasing epinephrine during the physical stressor and by reducing the percent of the work day spent in high heart rate zones. The results are discussed from the point of view of identifying type As who may be particularly coronary prone and the potential effects of beta-blockade on the reactivity associated with type A behavior.
authors.affiliation: School of Business Administration, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Rechnitzer
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000652:urine; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000652:urine; D010096:Oxprenolol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005082:Physical Exertion; D014434:Type A Personality
chemical_list: D010096:Oxprenolol; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine