title: Ethnicity, sex, trait anger, and nocturnal blood pressure decline.
abstract: This study examined the relationship of trait anger to nocturnal blood pressure decline among Singaporean young adults. One hundred forty-nine participants (51 Chinese, 51 Malays, 47 Indians, 49.7% men) participated in 24-h ambulatory monitoring for blood pressure and hemodynamic measures. Significant interactions were obtained between ethnicity and trait anger for systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure such that trait anger was significantly and negatively related to nocturnal blood pressure decline for Indians whereas this was not true for Chinese or Malays. Significant sex x trait anger interactions were obtained for systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure in which trait anger was negatively related to blood pressure decline for men but not for women. Overall the results suggest that trait anger is a significant factor affecting nocturnal blood pressure decline particularly among Indians and men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work and Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore. swkgb@nus.edu.sg
authors.forename: George D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: Jolynn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pek
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ngau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D002307:Cardiography, Impedance; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics