Anxiety and irritability significantly predicted 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure increase over 4.8 years in healthy males, with a regression model explaining 58% of diastolic ABP variance (p<0.0001).
Cohort (n=31)
Psychological factors such as anxiety and irritability are important predictors of blood pressure increase over time in healthy males.
p-value: p=< 0.05
Salt sensitivity and psychological factors are thought to be associated with a higher risk for the development of hypertension but data on the relation between age-related blood pressure increase and salt sensitivity or psychological factors are scarce. A total of 31 healthy young males who were previously classified with respect to salt sensitivity, mental stress reactivity, trait-anxiety, trait-anger, and irritability were followed up 4.8 years later by 24 hr ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABP). Our results showed anxiety and irritability correlated significantly with 24-hr ABP 4.8 years later (p < 0.05). The increase of diastolic blood pressure over 4.8 years was higher in salt-sensitive than salt-resistant subjects (p < 0.07). Heart rate and diastolic blood pressure correlated significantly with systolic and diastolic 24-hr ABP and blood pressure reactivity under mental stress with diastolic 24-hr ABP. A regression analysis that included cardiovascular and psychological factors yielded 34% (systolic ABP, p < 0.009) and 58% (diastolic ABP, p < 0.0001) of variance. We concluded that anxiety and irritability are important predictors of blood pressure increase over time in healthy males.
Deter et al. (Sun,) conducted a cohort in Healthy (n=31). Salt sensitivity, anxiety, and irritability vs. Salt-resistant subjects and lower psychological factor scores was evaluated on 24-hr ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) at 4.8 years (p=< 0.05). Anxiety and irritability significantly predicted 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure increase over 4.8 years in healthy males, with a regression model explaining 58% of diastolic ABP variance (p<0.0001).