Age Differences in Cardiovascular Reactivity Under Active Coping Conditions

ABSTRACT This study investigated whether age and parental history of hypertension were related to increases in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure during an active coping task. The latter consisted of a 21‐trial reaction‐time task in which electric shock and monetary incentive were contingent upon adequate performance. Subjects consisted of 60 normotensive male volunteers aged 15–55 yrs. Results showed that age yielded a significant inverse relationship with increases in heart rate, accounting for 8% of the variance. However, no age association was found for increases in either systolic or diastolic blood pressure. Subjects with a parental history of hypertension showed greater responsivity in heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure than subjects without a hypertensive parent. Results are discussed in terms of methodological considerations and potential mechanisms accounting for the age‐related decline in heart rate during active coping.