Emotion profile and behaviour pattern of patients with active duodenal ulcer compared with acute coronary patients.

The authors examined personality profiles and type A/B behaviour in 100 patients with active duodenal ulcer, and a mean age of 39 years, using the Bortner scale and the Plutchnik Emotional Profile Index (EPI). The authors compared them with acute coronary patients and healthy controls. The mean EPI percentages for the duodenal ulcer patients, compared with acute coronary patients and healthy controls, display the trustful dimension (84.1 +/- 27.4--69.1 +/- 20.4--69.3 +/- 20.0), the aggressive dimension (56.7 +/- 9.3--41.3 +/- 19.2--37.6 +/- 17.3), the depressed dimension (84.5 +/- 12.3--52.8 +/- 19.1--51.4 +/- 23.1) and the dyscontrol dimension (73.5 +/- 32.2--48.4 +/- 27.7--50.2 +/- 17.5) to be significantly higher (P < 0.005). The mean percent scores of the gregarious dimension (44.2 +/- 13.2--72.7 +/- 22.7--68.0 +/- 22.0), control dimension (25.2 +/- 91.--39.1 +/- 31.9--44.3 +/- 15.5) and timid dimension (26.2 23.3--56.0 +/- 19.9--59.8 +/- 29.5), are significantly lower in duodenal ulcer patients than in acute coronary patients and controls (P < 0.005). Behaviour type A was found in 95 (95%) duodenal ulcer patients, in 76 (73.7%) acute coronary patients and in 58 (68%) healthy controls (P < 0.001). The Bortner scale was significantly higher in duodenal ulcer patients than in coronary and control subjects (P < 0.005). The EPI of duodenal ulcer patients in comparison to acute coronary patients and healthy controls, are sadder, more impulsive, do more risky things and are more disorganized and dependent. Type A behaviour was more often in duodenal ulcer patients than in the coronary and control groups.