Within the annals of research related to cardiovascular disease, it has long been established that the risk factors for development of this disorder are numerous, complex, and interrelated. In addition to the substantial number of physiologic factors such as age, heredity, sedentary lifestyle, gender, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, and diet already identified in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disorders, an array of psychosocial factors has also been implicated in the psychogenesis of this often lethal process. Foremost among these affective coconspirators for cardiovascular disease is the multi-faceted entity characterized as a type A personality.

Persons eligible for membership in this personality genre generally exhibit a familiar composite of behaviors that may include aggression, competitiveness, a strong need to excel, impatience, hard-driving, hostility, achievement-orientation, and quick to anger. Historically, these attributes have collectively been viewed as a recipe for cardiovascular disaster, particularly when combined with the physiologic risks just mentioned. In much...

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