title: Anger expression, gender, and ambulatory blood pressure in mild, unmedicated adults with hypertension.
abstract: The suppression of anger has been associated with the development of hypertension. This study evaluated the association between anger management style (anger-in and anger-out) and ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) in patients with repeated clinic diastolic blood pressures (DBPs) between 90-105 mmHg, unmedicated and with no known coronary artery disease. A total of 128 men (46.0 years) and 66 women (46.6 years) participated. Fourteen percent of men and 35% of women were classified as having "white coat" hypertension (daytime DBP < 85 mmHg). Mean awake and sleep DBP and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were evaluated in a repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Anger-in and anger-out scores were categorized into low, medium, and high t-scores (< 50, 50-59, > or = 60). Results indicated that in women, increasing anger-in is associated with greater SBPs while awake and sleeping, whereas no effect was found for DBP, nor any effect in men. No significant association was found between gender, anger-out, and ABP. The clinical diagnostic status of white coat hypertension was not differentially associated with anger-in or anger-out in men and women. In conclusion, in a sample of mild unmedicated adults with hypertension, suppression of anger is associated with greater ambulatory SBP in women, but not in men.
authors.affiliation: York University, USA.
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Helmers
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: O'Kelly
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tobe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D003971:Diastole; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D007206:Individuality; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D013599:Systole; D013694:Temperament