Pessimists at a higher risk of heart disease
Heart patients who have a pessimistic view of things, also called a "Type D" personality in medical science, could represent a group who are at a heightened risk of cardiovascular problems in the future, a new study suggests.
Study author Johan Denollet who works as a psychologist at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, says Type D personally is characterized by feelings of negativity, depression, anxiety, anger, stress and loneliness.
The researchers, who analyzed data from more than 4,000 patients who took part in 49 different studies, sought the link between heart and psychological health and Type D personality, says the report published in the latest issue of Circulation.
People with Type D personality have trouble making friends, feel low on self-esteem, are tense, angry and often overreact to stress. They also tend to conceal their feelings out a fear of rejection and it is estimated that 20 percent of Americans are Type D personalities.
The results of the study revealed that heart patients with this personality trait were at a three-fold increased risk of cardiovascular problems like angioplasty, a bypass procedure, heart transplant or peripheral artery disease.
The research team also found that patients having a glum personality also had a 300 percent increase in the risk of psychological conditions like depression, anxiety and poor mental health.
The researchers suggested in their report that a screening of heart patients to identify Type D personality will assist doctors to provide counseling and possibly predict and cure cardiovascular outcomes.