The present work tries to settle down if some of the components of Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP) can be used with some credibility to locate an eventual risk of coronary dysfunction. The sample was composed by women that had suffered a myocardial infarct. Using the S Factor of the Jenkins Activity Survey, two groups of women were formed: with high and low score. To all these women the heart rate during a test of effort was measured, and also, the incidence of diverse symptoms along three months after the hospital depart. Our results allow us to suggest that the Factor S of the JAS, which measures speed and impatience, seems an appropriate approach to investigate the risk of coronary illness. So, the women that punctuated high in this factor showed specific psychophysiological profiles, in which a slow recovery after the effort phase was observed. Also, these women experienced a higher incidence of psychological symptoms. This fact makes us suggest that Type A women seem to be more sensitive in the perception of the stress situations.
coronary illness; emotions; heart rate; symptoms experience
