Affective temperaments profoundly determine emotional reactivity and are the main precursors of major affective disorders. Having strong genetic and biological basis, they are relatively stable throughout life. Given the strong and multidimensional relationship between affective and cardiovascular disorders, temperaments may be effective predictors of future cardiovascular risks and events.

The assessment of affective temperament profile of hypertensive patients.

Explore affective temperaments, anxiety and depression in a hypertensive population in primary care settings.

214 consecutive hypertensive and 90 control subjects completed the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Autoqestionnaire (TEMPS-A), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). For comparisons, Mann-Whitney U test was applied.

Hypertensive patients scored significantly higher in both BDI (U=6854; p=0,002) and HAM-A (U=6543; p=0,004). Hypertensives also had significantly higher (U=8214; p=0,029) irritable temperament scores, while there was no significant difference in case of the other temperaments. Controlling for diagnosed depression rendered the effect of irritable temperament on hypertensives only marginally significant (U=5836; p=0,053).

Our results suggest that BDI and HAM-A could be effectively used in primary care for screening patients with high cardiovascular risk. The more marked presence of the irritable temperament in the hypertensive group reveals new information, since it may mediate susceptibility to behavioural risk factors and reaction to stressful life events known to play a role in cardiovascular risk. Exploration the relationship between irritable temperament and Type A behaviour needs further studies.