High trait rumination is associated with blunted nighttime diastolic blood pressure dipping.
BACKGROUND
Blunted blood pressure (BP) dipping during nighttime sleep has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Psychological traits have been associated with prolonged cardiovascular activation and a lack of cardiovascular recovery. This activation may extend into nighttime sleep and reduce BP dipping.


OBJECTIVE
This study aims to evaluate the association between trait rumination and nighttime BP dipping.


METHODS
Sixty women scoring either high or low on trait rumination underwent one 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring session. Self-reported wake and sleep times were used to calculate nighttime BP.


RESULTS
High trait rumination was associated with less diastolic blood pressure (DBP) dipping relative to low trait rumination. Awake ambulatory BP, asleep systolic blood pressure (SBP) and DBP, and asleep SBP dipping were not associated with trait rumination.


CONCLUSIONS
In a sample of young women, high trait rumination was associated with less DBP dipping, suggesting that it may be associated with prolonged cardiovascular activation that extends into nighttime sleep, blunting BP dipping.
Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada.
Jillian A
JA
Johnson
Brenda L
BL
Key
Faye S
FS
Routledge
William
W
Gerin
Tavis S
TS
Campbell
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009770:Obsessive Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D013850:Thinking / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult