[Clinical characteristics of hypertensive disease in patients with alexithymia].
OBJECTIVE
To study hemodynamics and metabolism in patients with hypertensive disease and various severity of alexithymia.


METHODS
Psychological testing was included into complex examination of 202 patients with stage II hypertensive disease.


RESULTS
Patients with alexithymia had longer duration of hypertensive load, higher frequency of target organs damage, intensified processes of lipid peroxidation and depressed activity of antioxidant defense, derangements of lipid metabolism. Twenty four hour blood pressure index characterizing day-night pressure gradient depended on the psychological status of patients. Nocturnal hypertension or insufficient nocturnal lowering of blood pressure were more frequent in patients with alexithymia.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of alexithymic personality traits was associated with more severe clinical presentation of hypertensive disease.
Lyshova
O V
OV
Provotorov
V M
VM
Chernov
Iu N
IuN
D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index