Psychological Distress and Hypertension: Results from the National Health Interview Survey for 2004-2013.
OBJECTIVE
Psychological conditions are increasingly linked with cardiovascular disorders. We aimed to examine the association between psychological distress and hypertension.


METHODS
We used data from the National Health Interview Survey for 2004-2013. Hypertension was self-reported and the 6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale was used to assess psychological distress (a score ≥13 indicated distress). We used a logistic regression model to test the assumption that hypertension was associated with psychological distress.


RESULTS
Among the study participants completing the survey (n = 288,784), 51% were female; the overall mean age (±SEM) was 35.3 ± 0.02 years and the mean body mass index was 27.5 ± 0.01. In the entire sample, the prevalence of psychological distress was 3.2%. The adjusted odds of reporting hypertension in psychologically distressed individuals was 1.53 (95% CI = 1.31-1.80, p = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that psychological distress is associated with higher odds of hypertension after adjusting for other risk factors for high blood pressure. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to elucidate the mechanisms by which stress increases hypertension risk.
Center for Healthful Behavior Change (CHBC), Division of Health and Behavior, Department of Population Health, New York University Medical Center, New York, N.Y., USA.
Nwakile
N
Ojike
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo., USA.
James R
JR
Sowers
Center for Healthful Behavior Change (CHBC), Division of Health and Behavior, Department of Population Health, New York University Medical Center, New York, N.Y., USA.
Azizi
A
Seixas
Center for Healthful Behavior Change (CHBC), Division of Health and Behavior, Department of Population Health, New York University Medical Center, New York, N.Y., USA.
Joseph
J
Ravenell
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, SUNY-Downstate/Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, N.Y., USA.
G
G
Rodriguez-Figueroa
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, SUNY-Downstate/Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, N.Y., USA.
M
M
Awadallah
Center for Healthful Behavior Change (CHBC), Division of Health and Behavior, Department of Population Health, New York University Medical Center, New York, N.Y., USA.
F
F
Zizi
Center for Healthful Behavior Change (CHBC), Division of Health and Behavior, Department of Population Health, New York University Medical Center, New York, N.Y., USA.
Girardin
G
Jean-Louis
Center for Healthful Behavior Change (CHBC), Division of Health and Behavior, Department of Population Health, New York University Medical Center, New York, N.Y., USA.
Olugbenga
O
Ogedegbe
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, SUNY-Downstate/Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, N.Y., USA.
Samy I
SI
McFarlane
Emotional distress; Hypertension; Kessler Psychological Distress Scale