Key result
Patients with essential hypertension exhibited a significantly greater increase in systolic blood pressure (mean difference 2.08 mmHg) in response to mental stress compared to normotensive controls.
Why the study?
Does exposure to mental and physical stress elicit a greater sympathetic nervous system response in patients with essential hypertension compared to normotensive controls?
Population
230 adults, ≥18 years old, from India. Exclusions: diabetes mellitus, chronic alcoholism, ischaemic heart…
Comparison
Exposure to a series of 1-minute stressful… vs Age- and sex-matched healthy normotensive…
Design
Case-control, Simple random sampling of patients with essential hypertension…
Authors
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Exaggerated stress-induced BP rise in hypertension should not yet change practice; leaves open whether stress reduction improves outcomes.
Case-Control (n=230)
Observer-blinded
Random sampling of hypertensive patients
No
Does exposure to mental and physical stress elicit a greater sympathetic nervous system response in patients with essential hypertension compared to normotensive controls?
Mean Difference: 2.08 (95% CI 0.12–4.04)
Absolute Event Rate: 6.32% vs 4.24%
p-value: p=<0.05
Patients with essential hypertension exhibit increased basal sympathetic activity and an exaggerated sympathetic reactivity to stress compared to normotensive individuals.
Kaushik et al. (2004) conducted a case-control in Essential Hypertension (n=230). Essential hypertension vs. Age- and sex-matched healthy normotensive controls was evaluated on Change in systolic blood pressure in response to stress (MD 2.08 mmHg, 95% CI 0.12 to 4.04, p=<0.05). Patients with essential hypertension exhibited a significantly greater increase in systolic blood pressure (mean difference 2.08 mmHg) in response to mental stress compared to normotensive controls.
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