Cardiovascular reactivity to simulated social stress

This study tested the hypotheses that blood pressure reactivity to simulated social stress would be positively correlated with resting pCO2 and with increased variability of blood pressure in the natural environment. Sixty white and black men and women participated in a role-playing task involving scenarios describing common infringements of their rights. Blood pressure was higher during the role playing task than during a preceding structured interview and an intervening rest period, and decreased after role playing. Heart rate changes were small by comparison, though heart rate reactivity of women was greater than that of men. Blood pressure reactivity was not correlated with resting pCO2 and was inversely correlated with ambulatory systolic blood pressure variability. Resting pCO2 was, however, correlated with mean 24-h ambulatory systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This study confirms that social stress elevated blood pressure acutely via a vascular mechanism, is consistent with the view that hyperresponsive individuals tend to avoid arousing situations, and further implicates pCO2 in long-term blood pressure regulation.