| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
From the Departments of Psychology (D.A.R., J.M.M., M.F.P., T.W.K., S.B.M.) and Psychiatry (M.F.P., T.W.K., S.B.M.), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
Address reprint requests to: Michael F. Pogue-Geile, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, 4015 O’Hara St., Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Email: mfpg{at}pitt.edu
OBJECTIVE: Three psychosocial characteristics associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD)—depression, hostility, and social support—tend to correlate with one another. However, the causes of each characteristic and why they tend to co-occur are not completely understood. Therefore, the current study used a twin design to examine the relative contributions of genetic and environmental influences to the variation and covariation of these three psychosocial characteristics.
METHODS: The sources of variation and covariation among the Beck Depression Inventory, the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale, and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List were examined in a young adult community sample of 157 monozygotic and 75 dizygotic twin pairs.
RESULTS: Phenotypic confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a single latent factor could account for their moderate intercorrelations. Twin analyses indicated that the Beck Depression Inventory and Interpersonal Support Evaluation List were each influenced by genetic and nonshared environmental factors, whereas the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale was influenced by familial (genetic and/or shared environmental) and nonshared environmental factors. Bivariate associations between these scales were largely determined by common genetic effects and, to a lesser degree, common nonshared environmental effects. Covariation among the three scales could be explained by a single common genetic factor and a common nonshared environmental factor. Environmental factors shared within families did not contribute to covariation among the psychosocial characteristics.
CONCLUSIONS: The results challenge the conventional approach of examining these psychosocial variables as independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease and argue for the importance of investigating specific causes for their covariation.
Key Words: twins, • genetic, • depression, • hostility, • social support, • cardiovascular disease.
Abbreviations: A = additive genetic;; BDI = Beck Depression Inventory;; C = shared environment;; CFA = confirmatory factor analysis;; CVD = cardiovascular disease;; D = genetic dominance;; DZ = dizygotic;; E = nonshared environment and error variance;; Ho = Cook-Medley Hostility (Scale);; ISEL = Interpersonal Support Evaluation List;; MMPI = Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory;; MZ = monozygotic;; SES = socioeconomic status.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  J. C. Stewart, D. Janicki-Deverts, M. F. Muldoon, and T. W. Kamarck Depressive Symptoms Moderate the Influence of Hostility on Serum Interleukin-6 and C-Reactive Protein Psychosom Med, February 1, 2008; 70(2): 197 - 204. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. C. Stewart, D. L. Janicki, M. F. Muldoon, K. Sutton-Tyrrell, and T. W. Kamarck Negative Emotions and 3-Year Progression of Subclinical Atherosclerosis Arch Gen Psychiatry, February 1, 2007; 64(2): 225 - 233. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. H. Boyle, J. E. Michalek, and E. C. Suarez Covariation of Psychological Attributes and Incident Coronary Heart Disease in U.S. Air Force Veterans of the Vietnam War Psychosom Med, November 1, 2006; 68(6): 844 - 850. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
I. Rebollo and D. I. Boomsma Genetic and Environmental Influences on Type A Behavior Pattern: Evidence From Twins and Their Parents in The Netherlands Twin Register Psychosom Med, May 1, 2006; 68(3): 437 - 442. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. S. Lett, J. A. Blumenthal, M. A. Babyak, T. J. Strauman, C. Robins, and A. Sherwood Social Support and Coronary Heart Disease: Epidemiologic Evidence and Implications for Treatment Psychosom Med, November 1, 2005; 67(6): 869 - 878. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. C. Suarez C-Reactive Protein Is Associated With Psychological Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease in Apparently Healthy Adults Psychosom Med, September 1, 2004; 66(5): 684 - 691. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. M. McCaffery, M. Bleil, M. F. Pogue-Geile, R. E. Ferrell, and S. B. Manuck Allelic Variation in the Serotonin Transporter Gene-Linked Polymorphic Region (5-HTTLPR) and Cardiovascular Reactivity in Young Adult Male and Female Twins of European-American Descent Psychosom Med, September 1, 2003; 65(5): 721 - 728. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. C. Suarez Joint Effect of Hostility and Severity of Depressive Symptoms on Plasma Interleukin-6 Concentration Psychosom Med, July 1, 2003; 65(4): 523 - 527. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. Frasure-Smith and F. Lesperance Depression and Other Psychological Risks Following Myocardial Infarction Arch Gen Psychiatry, June 1, 2003; 60(6): 627 - 636. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Plomin and G. Koeppen-Schomerus Beyond Heritability Psychosom Med, March 1, 2002; 64(2): 204 - 205. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
