title: Longitudinal platelet reactivity to acute psychological stress among older men and women.
abstract: Platelet reactivity to acute stress is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk; however, little research exists to provide systematic methodological foundations needed to generate strong longitudinal research designs. Study objectives were: 1) to evaluate whether markers of platelet function increase in response to an acute psychological stress test among older adults, 2) to establish whether reactivity remains robust upon repeated administration (i.e. three occasions approximately 1 year apart), and 3) to evaluate whether two different acute speech stress tasks elicit similar platelet responses. The 149 subjects (mean age 71 years) gave a brief impromptu speech on one of two randomly assigned topics involving interpersonal conflict. Blood samples drawn at baseline and post-speech were assayed using flow cytometry for platelet responses on three outcomes (% aggregates, % P-selectin expression, and % fibrinogen receptor expression). Three-level hierarchical linear modeling analyses revealed significant stress-induced increases in platelet activation on all outcomes (p < 0.001). No significant habituation on any measure was found. Additional reactivity differences were associated with male gender, history of myocardial infarction, and use of aspirin, statins, and antidepressants. The results demonstrate that laboratory acute stress tests continued to produce robust platelet reactivity on three activation markers among older adults over 3 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kirstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aschbacher
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: von Känel
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: Susan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Roepke
authors.forename: Suzi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Joel E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dimsdale
authors.forename: Brent T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Mausbach
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ancoli-Israel
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Grant
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D015539:Platelet Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010974:Platelet Aggregation; D039341:Receptors, Fibrinogen / Q000097:blood; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D019007:P-Selectin; D039341:Receptors, Fibrinogen; D001241:Aspirin