Hostility, race, and glucose metabolism in nondiabetic individuals.
OBJECTIVE
The present study was designed to determine whether hostility is differentially related to measures of glucose metabolism in African-Americans and Caucasians.


METHODS
The relationship of hostility, as measured by a subset of the Cook-Medley hostility scale (CMHOST) inventory items, to various parameters of glucose metabolism were examined in a young, healthy sample of male and female African-American and Caucasian volunteers. Fasting blood samples were collected during an inpatient admission, at which time the CMHOST was also administered.


RESULTS
In the entire sample, the CMHOST was found to be significantly correlated with fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity, as measured by the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA). However, the relationship of hostility to these parameters of glucose metabolism was different in African-American and Caucasian subjects. Hostility was significantly related to fasting glucose in African-Americans and to insulin sensitivity and fasting insulin in Caucasian subjects. The relationship of hostility to insulin sensitivity and fasting insulin was partially dependent on BMI in Caucasians, but the relationship of hostility to fasting glucose was unrelated to BMI in African-Americans.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that the relationship of hostility to measures of glucose metabolism is mediated differently in these two ethnic groups. Therefore, hostility seems to be part of a constellation of risk-related behaviors related to BMI in Caucasians but independently related to fasting glucose in African-Americans.
Surwit
Richard S
RS
Department of Psychiatry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. richard.surwit@duke.edu
Williams
Redford B
RB
Siegler
Ilene C
IC
Lane
James D
JD
Helms
Michael
M
Applegate
Katherine L
KL
Zucker
Nancy
N
Feinglos
Mark N
MN
McCaskill
Cynthia M
CM
Barefoot
John C
JC
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D044383:Black People; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin