Antagonistic behavior, dominance, hostility, and coronary heart disease

Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between antagonistic beha vior, dominance, attitudinal hostility, and coronary heart disease (CHD). M ethods: One hundred one men and 95 women referred for thallium stress testi ng were administered the Structured Interview and the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale. The Hostile Behavior Index, derived from the Structured Interview a nd developed by Haney et al., served as an index of antagonism, and the fre quency with which interviewees interrupted their interviewer served as a me asure of dominance. On the basis of their medical history and thallium stre ss test results, patients were classified as having (N = 44) or not having (N = 99) CHD. Results and Conclusions: Multivariate logistic regressions (w ith age, gender, disease, and lifestyle risk factors in the model) revealed that both the Hostile Behavior Index and dominance were significant indepe ndent risk factors for CHD (relative risk [RR] = 1.22 and 1.47, p < .03). O f the two Hostile Behavior Index component scores, indirect challenge and i rritability, only the latter correlated significantly with CHD (RR = 1.27, p < .03). Separate logistic regressions for men and women suggest that subt le, indirect manifestations of antagonism confer CHD risk in women and that more overt expressions of anger confer risk in men. A significant univaria te correlation between hostility scale scores and CHD became not significan t when we adjusted for socioeconomic status.