title: Sleep complaints predict increases in resting blood pressure following marital separation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although marital separation and divorce are associated with many negative health outcomes, few studies examine the psychophysiological mechanisms that may give rise to these outcomes. This study examined changes in resting blood pressure (BP) as a function of sleep complaints in recently divorced adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recently separated adults (n = 138; 38 men) completed a self-report measure of sleep complaints and a resting blood pressure (BP) assessment in the laboratory at three occasions across 7.5 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multilevel analyses revealed that although sleep complaints were not associated with concurrent BP, sleep complaints predicted significant increases in both systolic and diastolic BP at the subsequent laboratory visit. In addition, time since the separation from an ex-partner moderated the association between sleep complaints at baseline and resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) 3 months later. People who reported high sleep complaints 10 weeks or more after their separation demonstrated greater increases in SBP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In recently separated adults, greater sleep complaints may index increased risk for future increases in BP. This work helps pinpoint one potential mechanistic pathway linking marital separation with an important, health-relevant biological outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida.
authors.forename: Kendra N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Krietsch
authors.affiliation: Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California San Francisco.
authors.forename: Ashley E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Arizona.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Sbarra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D004243:Divorce / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057566:Self Report; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult