title: Endothelial dysfunction and negative emotions in adolescent girls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endothelial dysfunction predicts adult cardiovascular disorder and may be associated with negative emotions in adolescents. This study was conducted to determine if hopelessness, hostility, and depressive, anxiety, or conduct disorders were associated with compromised endothelial function and whether those associations were mediated by health risk behaviors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Endothelial function, assessed through brachial artery reactive hyperemia, was measured in a psychopathology enriched sample of 60 15-18-year-old girls. The correlations between hopelessness, hostility, and depressive, anxiety, or conduct disorders and the percent change in forearm vascular resistance (PCFVR) were measured. Possible mediation effects of health risk behaviors were tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hopelessness was negatively associated with PCFVR, controlling for race and body mass index. Conduct disorder without any anxiety disorder was associated with better endothelial function. The other negative emotions were not associated with PCFVR. Risky health behaviors were associated with conduct disorder and hopelessness, but not with PCFVR, so there was no evidence of mediation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main finding was that hopelessness in adolescent girls was associated with endothelial dysfunction. This may indicate that when present, hopelessness places a girl at risk for later cardiovascular disease, whether she has a psychiatric disorder or not. Possible mechanisms for this finding are examined and the surprising finding that conduct disorder is associated with better endothelial function is also discussed. Suggestions for future research are presented.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pajer
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: Chien-Ni
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boley
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001916:Brachial Artery; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000175:diagnosis; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011599:Psychopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D014655:Vascular Resistance