Components of the Anger-Hostility Complex and Symptom Reporting in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: A Multi-Measure Study

Multiple anger and hostility variables were investigated for associations with coronary artery disease (CAD) symptoms and to examine if those relationships were different for disease severity.Atwo year follow-up study of97 men with stenosed coronary arteries was undertaken. Questionnaires measured: nine forms of anger and hostility; Type A behaviour; anxiety; depression; social support; and ninesymptom measures. CAD severity was derived from clinicians’ ratings of coronary angiograms. Results are four fold: anger-hostility variables are relatively unimportant predictors of symptoms compared with anxiety and depression; psychosocial measures (except for expressed anger) are uncorrelated with CAD severity, though correlate numerously with CAD symptoms; symptoms are not distinguishable empirically in terms of frequency, intensity and duration with regard to type (‘angina pain’, ‘tiredness’ and ‘breathlessness and restricted mobility’); finally, CADsymptoms are unrelated to CAD severity. In conclusion, components of the angerhostility complex are of limited use for predicting CAD symptoms. However, anger expression is of utility for differentiating between CAD symptoms and disease severity.