Hostility, metabolic syndrome, inflammation and cardiac control in young adults: The Young Finns Study

We studied whether there is an association between hostility and cardiovascular heart disease (CHD) risk factors, such as the metabolic syndrome, systemic inflammation and autonomic cardiac control. Participants were 912 women and 712 men aged 15–30 when hostility was measured in 1992. Metabolic syndrome was assessed 9 years later in 2001 using 3 definitions: the National Institute of Health Adult Treatment Panel III criteria (NCEP), the European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance criteria (EGIR), and the International Diabetes Federation criteria (IDF). C-reactive protein (CRP) defined in 2001 was the marker of inflammation. Cardiac control indices were from EGC recording. In women, hostility predicted increased risk of metabolic syndrome (EGIR, and the IDF definitions, ORs = 1.34, 1.35, p < 0.05), and higher levels of inflammation (β = 0.09, p < 0.01). We concluded that hostility is associated with metabolic syndrome and systemic inflammation in women and these conditions may be factors linking hostility to CHD.

► Association between hostility and cardiovascular heart disease (CHD) has been suggested.
► Potential mechanisms include metabolic syndrome, systemic inflammation and autonomic cardiac control.
► We showed, that in women hostility was associated with metabolic syndrome and systemic inflammation.
► Health risk behaviors did not mediate of confound the association between hostility and CHD risks.