Affective moderators of the cardiovascular response to stress in offspring of hypertensives.
The present study examined the influence of trait anxiety on the cardiovascular responses of normotensive offspring of hypertensives and normotensives. Forty-eight young adult males, half of whom were offspring of hypertensives (PH+), were exposed to an extended active coping stressor. This was a 1 hr shock avoidance procedure with avoidance made contingent on video-game performance. Trait anxiety status interacted with parental history of hypertension in predicting cardiovascular response. PH+ subjects who scored high on trait anxiety exhibited greater elevations of heart rate and forearm blood flow, and decreases in forearm vascular resistance than did PH+/low trait anxiety subjects or offspring of normotensives (PH-). Cardiovascular responses of PH+/low trait anxiety subjects did not differ significantly from those of PH- subjects. Results suggest affective factors may moderate cardiovascular responses of individuals at risk for hypertension.
Miller
S B
SB
Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D001143:Arousal / Q000235:genetics*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000235:genetics; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications