title: Heart rate and blood pressure in the context of nutritional and psychological analysis: a case study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The disturbance of circadian variability helps predict, among others, the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. Circadian Hyper Amplitude Tension (CHAT) is a psychosomatic disorder related to an inappropriate lifestyle (including unbalanced diet, stress-inducing environment/development) and genetic factors. Blood pressure and heart rate are phenotypes characterized by rhythmic fluctuations over time under influence of environmental/developmental (incl. psychosocial) and genetic conditions. These cardio-/cerebro-vascular fluctuations result from otherwise largely distributed internal biological rhythms regulated via complex and intertwined neuro-hormonal systems.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to identify a potential time-structure relationship between blood pressure/heart rate rhythmic fluctuations and nutritional/psychosocial conditions in a 43-year old woman exposed to new nutritional (omega-3 fatty acids supplementation) and psychosocial (divorce) factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved the use of a non-invasive device (ambulatory blood pressure monitor or ABPM, A&D Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) for continuous (24/7) monitoring of heart functions and rhythms between October 2009 and March 2010, at 30-min intervals. As a result, 16 time-structure profiles (Sphygmochron) were obtained from Halberg Chronobiological Center (Minneapolis, MN, USA), each of them containing detailed analysis and interpretation of stacked data spanning 7-14 days. The study also involved a diary of daily nutritional (omega-3 fatty acids) / psychosocial (PANAS) events and their emotional and cognitive components.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) steadily decreased during the time of the study. Three periods of elevated variability in SBP (diagnosed as CHAT) and one period of abnormally low DBP were recorded during the 6-month study at the time of negative affects (NA).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A comparative analysis of diary records (omega-3 fatty acids & PANAS) and cardiovascular responses (Sphygmochron) showed that a person who is professionally and socially active in middle age can actively reduce her SBP/DBP with omega-3 fatty acids intervention. However, the person also displays disturbances in blood pressure variability predicted by the stress-strain hypothesis, whereby states of strain and relaxation are generated by the persons predetermined standards and objectives.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland. awk@dmfrontiers.pl
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilczynska
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Meester
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Singh Ram
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bargiel-Matusiewicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3