Type A behaviour pattern and ischaemic heart disease.

A brief review is given on the definition, prevalence and strength of type A behaviour as an ischemic heart disease risk factor. Special emphasis is placed on the results of a Finnish population study. Type A behaviour has unequivocally been shown to be a relevant risk factor in middle-aged American populations. The evidence for its function in other populations is still equivocal. Some components of type A behaviour, e.g. hostility and impatience, may be more important than other features as predictors of ischemic heart disease.