Changes in daily hassles and life events and the relationship with coronary heart disease risk factors: A 2-year longitudinal study in 27-29-year-oldmales and females

To investigate the relationship between changes in daily hassles and life e vents and biological (lipoproteins, blood pressure, body fat, and body fat distribution) and lifestyle (physical activity, smoking and alcohol consump tion) risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) 166 subjects were measu red twice, at 27 and 29 years of age. The results showed that changes in da ily hassles were positively related to changes in lipoprotein levels, daily physical activity, and to smoking behavior. These relationships were more pronounced for subjects with a "rigid" coping style and subjects with type A behavior. Changes in life events were also positively related to lipoprot ein levels, but only for subjects with a "rigid" coping style and only when the subjective appraisal of life events was taken into account. It was con cluded that the relationships seemed to be mediated by different coping sty les and type A behavior, that daily hassles were more important in these re lationships than life events, and that the relationships with biological CH D risk factors were not influenced by lifestyle. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.