Type D personality has been recently found to be a risk factor for

The distressed personality (Type D) is an emerging risk factor in cardiovascular disease (CVD) that incurs a risk on par with left ventricular dysfunction in patients with ischemic hea disease. Type D is defined as the co-occurring tendencies to experience increased negative emotions and to inhibit self-expression in social interactions. Evidence is accumulating that Type D may also be a risk factor for adverse outcome across CVD patient groups, including patients undergoing revascularization with drug-eluting stent implantation or bypass surgery, patients with hea failure, peripheral aerial disease, and arrhythmia. In these patient groups, Type D personality has been associated with a 2-5 fold increased risk of adverse prognosis, impaired quality of life and symptoms of anxiety and depression independent of traditional biomedical risk factors, including disease severity. Ref: Susanne S. Pedersen, Johan Denollet. Is Type D personality here to stay? Emerging evidence across cardiovascular disease patient groups. Current cardiology reviews. Vol 2, Issue 3, 2006.