title: Association of affective temperaments with blood pressure and arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: Affective temperaments (anxious, depressive, cyclothymic, irritable and hyperthymic) measure subclinical manifestations of major mood disorders. Furthermore, cumulating evidence suggests their involvement in somatic disorders as well. We aimed to assess associations between affective temperament scores and blood pressure and arterial stiffness parameters in hypertensive patients.
  
  
  
  In this cross-sectional study, 173 patients with well-controlled or grade 1 chronic hypertension, with no history of depression, completed the TEMPS-A, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) questionnaires in three GP practices. Arterial stiffness was measured with tonometry (PulsePen).
  
  
  
  According to multiple linear regression analysis, cyclothymic temperament score was positively associated with brachial systolic blood pressure independently of age, sex, total cholesterol, brachial diastolic blood pressure, BDI, HAM-A and the use of alprazolam (β = 0.529, p = 0.042), while hyperthymic temperament score was negatively related to augmentation index independent of age, sex, smoking, heart rate, BDI, HAM-A and the use of alprazolam (β = -0.612, p = 0.013). A significant interaction was found between cyclothymic temperament score and sex in predicting brachial systolic blood pressure (p = 0.025), between irritable and anxious temperament scores and sex in predicting pulse wave velocity (p = 0.021, p = 0.023, respectively) and an interaction with borderline significance between hyperthymic temperament score and sex in predicting augmentation index (p = 0.052).
  
  
  
  The present findings highlight elevated blood pressure among subjects with high cyclothymic temperament as well as an increased level of arterial stiffening in subjects with low hyperthymic scores suggesting that affective temperaments may play a role in the development of hypertension and arterial stiffening and may thus represent markers of cardiovascular risk. Sex differences were also present in these associations.
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: László
authors: 1st Department of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.|Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College, London, UK.
authors: Ádám
authors: Á
authors: Tabák
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Beáta
authors: B
authors: Kőrösi
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Dániel
authors: D
authors: Eörsi
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Péter
authors: P
authors: Torzsa
authors: 1st Department of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Orsolya
authors: O
authors: Cseprekál
authors: 1st Department of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: András
authors: A
authors: Tislér
authors: 1st Department of Pediatrics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: György
authors: G
authors: Reusz
authors: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Zsófia
authors: Z
authors: Nemcsik-Bencze
authors: Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. gonda.xenia@med.semmelweis-univ.hu.|Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. gonda.xenia@med.semmelweis-univ.hu.|MTA-SE Neurochemistry Research Group, Budapest, Hungary. gonda.xenia@med.semmelweis-univ.hu.
authors: Xénia
authors: 0000-0001-9015-4203
authors: X
authors: Gonda
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Zoltán
authors: Z
authors: Rihmer
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.|Health Service of Zugló (ZESZ), Budapest, Hungary.
authors: János
authors: J
authors: Nemcsik
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013694:Temperament; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Affective temperament scores; Arterial stiffness; Augmentation index; Blood pressure; Hypertension