Components of the anger-hostility complex and symptom reporting in patients with coronary artery disease: A multi-measure study

Multiple anger and hostility variables were investigated for associations w ith coronary artery disease (CAD) symptoms and to examine if those relation ships were different for disease severity. A two year follow-up study of 97 men with stenosed coronary arteries was undertaken. Questionnaires measure d: nine forms of anger and hostility; Type A behaviour; anxiety; depression ; social support; and nine symptom measures. CAD severity was derived from clinicians' ratings of coronary angiograms. Results are fourfold: anger-hos tility variables are relatively unimportant predictors of symptoms compared with anxiety and depression; psychosocial measures (except for expressed a nger) are uncorrelated with CAD severity, though correlate numerously with CAD symptoms; symptoms are not distinguishable empirically in terms of freq uency, intensity and duration with regard to type ('angina pain', 'tirednes s' and 'breathlessness and restricted mobility'); finally, CAD symptoms are unrelated to CAD severity. In conclusion, components of the anger-hostilit y complex are of limited use for predicting CAD symptoms. However, anger ex pression is of utility for differentiating between CAD symptoms and disease severity.