Assessment of the association between the personality traits of young patients with acute coronary syndrome and the severity of coronary artery disease

OBJECTIVE
The role of psychosocial risk factors is becoming increasingly important in the etiology of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The purpose of this study was to assess an association between the personality types of young patients with ACS and the prevalence and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD).

METHODS
Patients younger than 45 years of age who presented with ACS and who underwent coronary angiography in the period from 2012 to 2016 were included in the study. The coronary angiography records of the patients were examined and their Gensini score (GS) was calculated; GS ≥20 was considered to be severe CAD. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised Short Form scales were used to measure psychoticism, extraversion, lying, and neuroticism.

RESULTS
A total of 139 patients were included in the study. The median psychoticism score of patients with GS <20 was found to be significantly higher than that of patients with GS ≥20 [1.0 (25th and 75th percentile: 0.0–2.0) vs. 1.0 (25th and 75th percentile: 0.0–1.0); p=0.015]. The median psychoticism score was 1.0 (25th and 75th percentile: 1.0–2.0) in the unstable angina pectoris group, 0.5 (25th and 75th percentile: 0.0–1.0) in the ST segment elevation myocardial infarction group, and 1.0 (25th and 75th percentile: 0.0–1.0) in the non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction group (p=0.004).

CONCLUSION
The presence of psychoticism characteristics in patients who present with ACS is associated with less severe CAD.