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Anger and Coronary Heart Disease: Epidemiologic Evidence from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study Janice E. Williams, PhD, MPH Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ARIC Study. Two research arms Cohort Community morbidity/mortality surveillance. Types of Anger.
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Anger and Coronary Heart Disease: Epidemiologic Evidence fromthe Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) StudyJanice E. Williams, PhD, MPHCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
The ARIC Study • Two research arms • Cohort • Community morbidity/mortality surveillance
Types of Anger • Anger experience • Transitory state (state anger) • Stable and general predisposition to experience anger (trait anger)
Types of Anger • Anger expression • Anger in • Anger out • Anger control
Trait Anger • Subtypes • Temperament • Reaction
Anger and CHD Studies • Have employed the following study designs to provide evidence of an association • cross-sectional • prospective • laboratory/clinical
Anger and CHD: ARIC Study • Relationship of overall trait anger and subtypes to • CHD (revascularization procedures, silent MI, acute MI/fatal CHD)
Methods • 13,000 black and white men and women, aged 48 - 67, free of clinically manifest CHD • Completed Spielberger Trait Anger Scale
Methods • Followed from 1990 - 1995 for the occurrence of CHD (revascularization procedures, silent MI, acute MI/fatal CHD)
Spielberger Trait Anger Scale • I am quick tempered. • I have a fiery temper. • I am a hotheaded person. • I get angry when I am slowed down by others’ mistakes.
Spielberger Trait Anger Scale (continued) • I feel annoyed when I am not given recognition for doing good work. • I fly off the handle. • When I get angry, I say nasty things.
Spielberger Trait Anger Scale (continued) • It makes me furious when I am criticized in front of others. • When I get frustrated, I feel like hitting someone.
Spielberger Trait Anger Scale (continued) • I feel infuriated when I do a good job and get a poor evaluation.
Trait Anger-Temperament Subscale • I am quick tempered. • I have a fiery temper. • I am a hotheaded person. • I fly off the handle.
Trait Anger - Reaction Subscale • I get angry when I am slowed down by others’ mistakes. • I feel annoyed when I am not given recognition for doing good work.
Trait Anger - Reaction Subscale (continued) • It makes me furious when I am criticized in front of others. • I feel infuriated when I do a good job and get a poor evaluation.
Spielberger Trait Anger Scale • Coding • 1) Almost never • 2) Sometimes • 3) Often • 4) Almost always
Statistical Analyses • Means and percentages to describe the population by CHD risk factors. • -2 log likelihood tests to assess interactions of covariates with anger.
Statistical Analyses (continued) • Proportional hazards regression models to assess anger-CHD association. • Kaplan-Meier product limit method to assess probabilities of CHD event-free survival.
Covariates • Drinking • Smoking • Diabetes • Age • Race • Gender • Education • Waist-to-hip ratio • LDL-and HDL-cholesterol
Results • Compared to their low-anger counterparts, persons high in trait anger were more likely to: • be smokers and drinkers • be heavier • have less formal education
Multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (95% C.I.) for the association between overall trait anger and CHD risk _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (95% C.I.) for the association between trait anger-temperament and CHD risk _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (95% C.I.) for the association between trait anger-reaction and CHD risk _ _ _ _
Summary • Overall trait anger was positively associated with risk of both combined CHD and of “hard” events (acute MI/fatal CHD) among normotensive individuals.
Summary • Similarly, trait anger-temperament was positively associated with combined CHD and with “hard” events (acute MI/fatal CHD) among normotensive individuals.
Summary • No statistically significant association was observed between trait anger-reaction and CHD.
Conclusions • A fiery temper predisposes middle-aged normotensive persons to a greater risk of CHD than anger aroused in reaction to frustration, criticism, or unfair treatment.
The Mechanism • High-anger persons, compared to their low-anger counterparts, may be more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors that place them at risk for CHD.
The Mechanism • Direct pathophysiological effects via heightened sympathetic arousal and neuroendocrine activation.