Trait hostility was associated with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure and more negative mood throughout a 3-day monitoring period in healthy adults.
Observational (n=100)
Does high trait hostility increase ambulatory blood pressure and negative mood in healthy adults?
Trait hostility, when assessed by structured interview, is associated with higher ambulatory blood pressure and more negative mood during daily living, suggesting a mechanism for increased cardiovascular risk.
This study (a) tested the effects of hostile attributes on ambulatory blood pressure (BP), heart rate, and mood monitored repeatedly over 3 days in 100 healthy men and women and (b) determined whether the cardiovascular effects of trait hostility were moderated by mood. Multilevel random-coefficients regression analyses showed that hostile individuals exhibited higher systolic and diastolic BP and rated their current moods as more negative and less positive throughout the monitoring. Individuals low in hostility exhibited high BP only during the few occasions when they experienced negative mood. However, these patterns were true only when participants were classified by Potential for Hostility ratings from the Structured Interview (R. H. Rosenman, 1978), not by the Cynical Hostile Attitudes score derived from the Cook-Medley scale. Results provide convergent and ecological validity of interview rating of hostility and illuminate one possible dynamic mechanism by which overt hostile behaviors might contribute to the rates of increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Räikkönen et al. (Fri,) conducted a observational in Healthy adults (n=100). Trait hostility vs. Low hostility was evaluated on Ambulatory blood pressure, heart rate, and mood. Trait hostility was associated with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure and more negative mood throughout a 3-day monitoring period in healthy adults.