title: Race differences in age-trends of autonomic nervous system functioning.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to consider race differences in age-trends of autonomic nervous system functioning, using a national data set with a broad age range.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measures of baseline heart rate variability (HRV) and HRV reactivity were derived from electrocardiograph (ECG) recordings taken at rest and during cognitive stress tasks. Age-trends in HRV and HRV reactivity were compared among 204 African Americans and 833 Whites ages 34 to 83 years (M = 53.7, SD = 11.4), before and after controlling for socioeconomic status (SES).
  
  
  RESULTS
  For HRV-reactivity, age-trends were steeper among African Americans and lower SES participants than Whites and higher SES participants. For baseline HRV, age-trends varied by SES but not race.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results relating to HRV-reactivity (but not baseline HRV) were consistent with hypotheses suggesting that African Americans are exposed to higher levels of stress and experience accelerated declines in health across the life span. The relevance of the findings to research on social stress and health disparities is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Robert Wood Johnson Health & Society Scholar, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53726, USA. FullerRowell@wisc.edu
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Fuller-Rowell
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Gayle D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Love
authors.forename: Paula S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: McKinley
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Sloan
authors.forename: Carol D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Ryff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000502:physiology; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012923:Social Class; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: African American; autonomic nervous system; health disparities; heart rate variability; stress reactivity