Personality and cardiovascular risk: association between hypertension and affective temperaments-a cross-sectional observational study in primary care settings.
BACKGROUND
Affective temperaments can be considered the subclinical manifestations of affective disorders, which have a bidirectional relationship with cardiovascular diseases.


OBJECTIVE
Aim of this study was to assess the role of affective temperaments in primary hypertension, which is the leading risk factor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.


METHODS
In total, 251 consecutive patients, including 179 patients being treated for primary hypertension with anti-hypertensives, with chronic disorders without diagnosed depression were enrolled in a primary care setting. Patients completed the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A). Lifestyle-related risk factors, chronic diseases including cardiovascular complications were also recorded. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationship of affective temperaments and lifestyle-related risk factors on hypertension.


RESULTS
Dominant cyclothymic temperament-with instability and rapid mood swings as main characteristics-had a significant association with hypertension (P = 0.006) even after the adjustment of correlation for known risk factors such as age, diabetes mellitus and obesity (OR: 11.88, 95%CI: 1.27-111.17). This association remained significant after controlling for the family wise error rate. The obtained adjusted P value was 0.024 at a 0.05 error rate.


CONCLUSIONS
RESULTS indicate that dominant cyclothymic affective temperament may be an additional risk factor in cardiovascular morbidity, and it may be worthy of further assessment to identify patients at risk and formulate a more individualized treatment approach.
Department of Family Medicine Semmelweis University , Budapest , Hungary.
Ajandek
A
Eory
Xenia
X
Gonda
Zsolt
Z
Lang
Peter
P
Torzsa
Janos
J
Kalman
Laszlo
L
Kalabay
Zoltan
Z
Rihmer
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D010551:Personality; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013694:Temperament
anxiety; depression; general practice/family medicine; heart and circulation; prevention; somatization