Effects of gender and cigarette smoking on reactivity to psychological and pharmacological stress provocation

Abstract

We examined the influence of gender and smoking status on reactivity in two human laboratory stress paradigms. Participants were 46 (21 men, 25 women) healthy individuals who completed the Trier Social Stress Task (i.e., performed speech and math calculations in front of an audience) and a pharmacological stress provocation (i.e., administration of corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH)) after an overnight hospital stay. Approximately half (53%) of the participants were smokers. Cortisol, adrenocorticotrophin hormone (ACTH), physiologic measures (heart rate, blood pressure), and subjective stress were assessed at baseline and at several time points post-task. Men demonstrated higher baseline ACTH and blood pressure as compared to women; however, ACTH and blood pressure responses were more pronounced in women. Women smokers evidenced a more blunted cortisol response as compared to non-smoking women, whereas smoking status did not affect the cortisol response in men. Finally, there was a more robust cardiovascular and subjective response to the Trier as compared to the CRH. Although preliminary, the findings suggest that women may be more sensitive than men to the impact of cigarette smoking on cortisol response. In addition, there is some evidence for a more robust neuroendocrine and physiologic response to acute laboratory stress in women as compared to men.

Habituation–sensitization of cardiovascular reactivity to repeated stress in smokers and non-smokers: An anthropometrically matched trial

“…The findings confirm the presence of a greater such risk among smokers. In relation to once-off cardiovascular reactivity, the present findings are consistent with those of Girdler et al (1997) and Back et al (2008) (for men) but inconsistent with those of Girdler et al (1997) (for women), Sheffield et al (1997) and Childs and de Wit (2009).…”

“…In laboratory studies of reactivity in smokers, some have found exaggerated cardiovascular reactivity compared to non-smokers among both men (e.g., Sheffield et al, 1997) and women (Girdler et al, 1997); others have found no differences in either men (Girdler et al, 1997;Back et al, 2008) or women (Back et al, 2008) while others have demonstrated reduced reactivity in men (Childs and de Wit, 2009). The inconsistency of these findings may be the result of methodological variations across studies, such as study-stimulated alterations of smoking behavior in the period immediately prior to laboratory testing (Primatesta et al, 2001).…”

Escitalopram prolonged fear induced by simulated public speaking and released hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation

“…Another limitation is the absence of women in the sample. Sex differences in the cortisol response to psychological stress have been suggested (Back et al, 2008). However, there is evidence that free salivary cortisol responses were more elevated in elderly men than elderly women, but no sex differences emerged in either young adults or children (Kudielka et al, 2004).…”

SMOKING AS A RISK FACTOR OF CARDIOVASCULAR AND CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES: PREVALENCE, IMPACT ON PROGNOSIS, POSSIBLE SMOKING CESSATION STRATEGIES AND THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. Part 1. Smoking Prevalence and Impact on Prognosis

“…Исследования, выполненные с помощью внутрисосудистого ультразвука, показали, что в месте разрыва атеросклеротической бляшки у женщин содержится больше тромбов [34], а, учитывая меньший диаметр коронарных артерий [35], меньшего по размеру тромба может оказаться достаточно для развития окклюзии [30]. Другим возможным объясне-нием может быть снижение стрессоустойчивости, ко-торое у курящих женщин выражено в большей степени по сравнению с курящими мужчинами [36]. Поэтому рекомендации по прекращению курения особо важны для женщин, кроме того, у них возникает необходи-мость в более «агрессивной» медикаментозной тера-пии (антитромботической, терапии статинами, антигипертензивной).…”