Personality Types and Heart Attack

Individuals can be classified into two on the basis of their personality types-Type A and Type B.
Type A personality includes a set of characteristics that includes being impatient, excessively time-conscious, insecure about one's status, highly competitive, hostile and aggressive, and incapable of relaxation. Type A individuals are often highly achieving workaholics who multi-task, drive themselves with deadlines, and are unhappy about the smallest of delays. Although they may exhibit some or all of these characteristics, it does not mean that people with the type A personality are incapable of showing love, affection or other types of non-pessimistic behavior. Many are also capable of "couching" some of these behavior attributes with proper treatment and medication. Those who do not seek treatment have been described as stress junkies, and often display some of the following characteristics:
1. An intrinsic insecurity or insufficient level of self-esteem, which is considered to be the root cause of the syndrome. This is believed to be covert and therefore less observable.
2. Time urgency and impatience, which causes irritation and exasperation.
3. Free floating hostility, which can be triggered even over little incidents.
The Type B personality, in contrast, is patient, relaxed, and easy-going.
An individual can work any number of hours provided he/she enjoys it. Otherwise it causes stress. Negative personalities like Type A trigger negative psycho-neuro-humoro-viscero-immune chain reaction. This increases the hormones of fright, fight and flight (adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol) resulting in a rise in heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, bad cholesterol (LDL) and decrease in good cholesterol (HDL). This leads to the narrowing of coronary arteries namely left and right (in turn endangering the blood supply to the heart muscle (myocardium), which in turn causes an imbalance between demand and supply of oxygen to the heart.
These individuals generally see their work as stressful, tend to over eat, lead a sedentary life, are obese and also smoke. This kind of a lifestyle leads to hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia, which culminates in coronary heart disease (CAD) and other health problems. There are three mechanisms of CAD: narrowing of the coronary arteries by the deposit of excess cholesterol or plaque; the erosion or rupture of plaque causing an instantaneous blood clot; acute coronary spasm. Obstructions up to 70 percent in the coronary arteries are sometimes compensated by coronary reserves, a gift of Nature. But beyond 70 percent, it manifests as effort angina or chest pain caused by exertion. Total or 100 percent block leads to a heart attack.
The increasing incidence of CAD among youngsters can be attributed to a combination of stress, insecurity and unhealthy lifestyle. A majority of the heart attacks occur between 5.00 a.m. and 8.00 a.m. due to over anxiety about work.
Type B personalities have a positive chain reaction that results in increased secretion of hormones like endorphins, melatonin and serotonin that help the organs including the heart to function normally.
A healthy work culture along with lifestyle modification not only helps in primary prevention of heart disease but also in reversing blocked coronary arteries. Intermittent breaks, mild stretching exercises, including more vegetables and fruits in diet and mental relaxation help improve one’s performance.
Globally about 30 percent of heart attack victims die within 2-3 minutes of the onset of pain. The only solution is primary prevention. Interventions like stenting and bypass surgery are temporary measures.
The only permanent cure is effective lifestyle changes. Three mantras for a healthy heart:
1. Positive Thought
2. Healthy food
3. Adequate exercise.
Reference:
Chockalingam, V (27/9/2009), Magazine, The Hindu Daily.
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