TY - JOUR
T1 - Type D personality and hemodynamic reactivity to laboratory stress in women
AU - Howard, Siobhán
AU - Hughes, Brian M.
AU - James, Jack E.
N1 - Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
PY - 2011/5
Y1 - 2011/5
N2 - The Type D personality (identified by high levels of both negative affectivity and social inhibition) has been associated with negative health consequences in cardiac patients. However, few studies have explored whether the Type D personality is associated with particular patterns of cardiovascular responses to stress. In the present study, cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stress (CVR) was examined as a possible mediating mechanism by which Type D personality may affect cardiovascular health, with specific focus on hemodynamic profile. Eighty-nine female university students completed a mental arithmetic stressor while undergoing hemodynamic monitoring. Blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, and total peripheral resistance in response to the stressor were examined. Type D personality was assessed using the 16-item Type D scale. Results indicated that there were no between-group differences in magnitude of blood pressure increase, with both Type D and non-Type D individuals demonstrating myocardial response profiles. However, Type D individuals were less "myocardial" than non-Type D individuals. This indicates that a weak myocardial response to an active stressor in Type D individuals may be indicative of hemodynamic maladaptation to stress, implicating CVR as a possible mechanism involved in Type D-cardiovascular health associations.
AB - The Type D personality (identified by high levels of both negative affectivity and social inhibition) has been associated with negative health consequences in cardiac patients. However, few studies have explored whether the Type D personality is associated with particular patterns of cardiovascular responses to stress. In the present study, cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stress (CVR) was examined as a possible mediating mechanism by which Type D personality may affect cardiovascular health, with specific focus on hemodynamic profile. Eighty-nine female university students completed a mental arithmetic stressor while undergoing hemodynamic monitoring. Blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, and total peripheral resistance in response to the stressor were examined. Type D personality was assessed using the 16-item Type D scale. Results indicated that there were no between-group differences in magnitude of blood pressure increase, with both Type D and non-Type D individuals demonstrating myocardial response profiles. However, Type D individuals were less "myocardial" than non-Type D individuals. This indicates that a weak myocardial response to an active stressor in Type D individuals may be indicative of hemodynamic maladaptation to stress, implicating CVR as a possible mechanism involved in Type D-cardiovascular health associations.
KW - Cardiovascular reactivity
KW - Hemodynamic profile
KW - Myocardial response
KW - Type D personality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79953773869&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2011.02.006
DO - 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2011.02.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 21333697
AN - SCOPUS:79953773869
SN - 0167-8760
VL - 80
SP - 96
EP - 102
JO - International Journal of Psychophysiology
JF - International Journal of Psychophysiology
IS - 2
ER -