TYPE-A BEHAVIOR AND VITAL EXHAUSTION AS RELATED TO THE METABOLIC HORMONAL VARIABLES OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS

The authors examined the correlations of Type A behavior and vital exh austion with the metabolic hormonal variables of the hypothalamic-pitu itary-adrenal axis (ACTH and cortisol), as well as with the ensuing pa rameters (insulin, glucose, and C-peptide). The participants were 64 h ealthy middle-aged men with stressful work. The authors found that Typ e A behavior and vital exhaustion were not correlated but made indepen dent contributions to the single metabolic hormonal variables. The cen tral finding was that when the whole HPA axis, Type A behavior and exh austion were all analyzed at the same time, Type A behavior per se had different, even opposite, hormonal correlates from Type A behavior as sociated with vital exhaustion. Type A behavior by itself was not rela ted to a metabolic hormonal dysfunction. However the Type A by vital e xhaustion interaction was statistically significant. This finding sugg ests that the quality or components of Type A behavior particularly th e presence of vital exhaustion, may be more important than the intensi ty of Type A behavior considered alone.