Type D personality as A risk factor in coronary heart disease: A review of current evidence

The Review's Objectives This review article summarizes current study results on the psychological context of Type D personality and the mechanisms through which Type D influences disease progression and prognosis in coronary heart disease patients (CHD). One out of every four CHD patients has a Distressed (Type D) personality, which is defined by two persistent characteristics: social inhibition and negative affectivity. Increased mortality and morbidity, as well as a worse health-related quality of life, are associated with Type D personalities. Type D is one of a group of psychological risk factors that influence the prognosis of coronary artery disease. Risk prediction accuracy may be influenced by the pattern of cooccurrence of various psychosocial variables as well as intra-individual variations in psychosocial profiles. Type D personality has been linked to a variety of biological and behavioral processes. It is critical to identify pathways that explain the observed correlations between Type D personality and CHD in order to enhance etiological and pathophysiological understanding, as well as to develop customized treatments that target particular risk related pathways.