More frequent partner hugs and higher oxytocin levels are linked to lower blood pressure and heart rate in premenopausal women.
In animals, ventral stroking for >5 days increases oxytocin (OT) activity and decreases blood pressure (BP), but related human studies are few. Thus, relationships between self-reported frequency of partner hugs, plasma OT and BP levels were examined in 59 premenopausal women before and after warm contact with their husbands/partners ending with hugs. Higher baseline OT before partner contact was associated with lower BP and heart rate, and met criteria to be a partial mediator of the lower resting BP shown by women reporting more frequent hugs (P<0.05). OT levels during post-contact stress were unrelated to hugs or BP. Menstrual cycle phase did not influence any OT measure. Thus, frequent hugs between spouses/partners are associated with lower BP and higher OT levels in premenopausal women; OT-mediated reduction in central adrenergic activity and peripheral effects of OT on the heart and vasculature are pathways to examine in future research.
Light
Kathleen C
KC
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, CB 7175 Medical Building A, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7175, USA. kalight@med.unc.edu
Grewen
Karen M
KM
Amico
Janet A
JA
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000097:blood*; D017697:Premenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000502:physiology; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*
D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D010121:Oxytocin