Glucose metabolism in subjects with behavior pattern A and hyperlipemia.

SEEMINGLY HEALTHY PERSONS possessing a behavior pattern (type A) earlier observed to bear an associative" 2 and more recently, a predictive3 4relationship to increased incidence of coronary heart disease also have been found5' 6 to exhibit as a group, abnormal preprandial and postprandial values of serum triglyceride. Moreover, the general pattern of their serum lipid abnormalities is similar to that found7' 8 in patients already suffering from coronary heart disease. Because of the possible relationship of this lipid derangement to the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease, we have interested ourselves in further investigation of the possible mechanism(s) responsible for its presence in the majority of type A subjects studied. Our earlier studies indicated that it is not due to any deficiency in circulating lipoprotein lipase,6 nor is it due to the relatively greater consumption of alcohol9 on the part of some subjects with this type of behavior pattern. Hyperlipemia is often associated wvith either an overt or covert hyperglycemia.10-14 This is particularly apt to be true in cases in which postabsorption turbidity, despite sufficient quantities of circulating lipoprotein lipase, is a prominent feature of the lipemia.13, 14 In subjects with type A pattern, however, the hyperlipemia usually becomes significant