Hemodynamic responses to active and passive coping tasks and the prediction of future blood pressure in Thai participants: A preliminary prospective cohort study

Abstract

Cardiovascular responses to mental stress tests have been related to future blood pressure (BP) levels. However, most studies have been completed in North America and Europe; only one study has been conducted in Asia. Therefore, the study explored whether cardiovascular responses to mental stress predict future resting BP in Thailand. Hemodynamic measures were obtained from 101 healthy adults before, during and after mental arithmetic, a speech task, and a cold pressor task. A follow-up assessment of resting BP was undertaken 1 year later. Results showed that Thais responded to standardized mental stress tasks with large and significant cardiovascular reactivity. Regression analyses indicated that, after adjustment for baseline BP and traditional risk factors, heightened systolic blood pressure (SBP) responses to mental arithmetic were associated with increased future SBP (ΔR 2 = .045). These findings suggest that BP reactivity predicts future BP and may play a role in the development of hypertension. In addition, Thais displayed large cardiovascular responses to standardized mental stress tasks, of a similar magnitude to previous studies of North Americans and Europeans.

Blunted cardiovascular reactions are a predictor of negative health outcomes: A prospective cohort study

“…It posits that exaggerated hemodynamic responses to an aversive challenge or engaging laboratory stressor predict or contribute to future blood pressure (BP) and hypertension (Chida & Steptoe, ). In addition, the Reactivity Hypothesis may relate to the risk of developing hypertension (Yuenyongchaiwat, Baker, Maratos, & Sheffield, ; Yuenyongchaiwat, Sheffield, Baker, & Maratos, ). However, it has recently been suggested that high cardiovascular reactivity may not always be related to negative health outcomes and behaviors and, further, that low reactivity may be related to some negative health outcomes.…”

Cardiovascular Response to Mental Stress Tests and the Prediction of Blood Pressure

“…The results of the present study support and extend these findings by suggesting that exaggerated cardiovascular reactions to psychological laboratory stress are associated with enhanced future BP and then may play a role in the development of hypertension. [ 6 7 8 9 10 ] However, only the cardiovascular reactions to serial subtraction were associated with increased BP. Further, after adjustment for baseline cardiovascular activity and traditional risk factors; SBP responses to mental arithmetic explained 4.0% of the variation of future SBP levels; the full regression model explained 33.4% of the variance of SBP after a 40-month follow-up, no analogous association was found in DBP or the prediction of future resting DBP.…”

“…In addition, the effect sizes for SBP responses to mental arithmetic tasks were weaker than those reported at a 1 year follow-up in this study. [ 6 ] Further, the assessments of socioeconomic backgrounds and health statuses (e.g., hormones) are not examined. Despite the limitations noted above, the study extends previous research that has been completed in European and North American countries; BP reactivity significantly improved prediction models of future BP in a Thai sample.…”

“…In the current study, 4.0% of the variability of future SBP was accounted for by SBP reactivity; a contribution similar to the 2%–12% found in previous Western studies whether with a short or long duration of follow-up. [ 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 ] Thus, BP reactivity appears to be a modest, independent predictor of future SBP.…”

“…Recruitment of participants and psychological tests were measured which have been described in elsewhere. [ 6 ] Shortly, after the beginning of the tests, the participants were asked to perform three mental stress tests (i.e., mental arithmetic, speech, and cold pressor tasks). A 5 min, serial subtraction task was used; participants were requested to subtract the number “13” repetitively starting from “1079” as quickly.…”