Premenopausal and Postmenopausal Women Differ in their Cardiovascular and Neuroendocrine Responses to Behavioral Stressors

Abstract

Middle-aged (45-51 years) women performed four tasks while their heart rate, blood pressure, and plasma catecholamines were measured. The tasks were serial subtraction, mirror image tracing, speech, and postural tilt. The speech task was considered to be particularly relevant to women because of its emphasis on social skills. Fifteen premenopausal women reported menstruating regularly and were tested in the early follicular phase. Sixteen postmenopausal women reported not menstruating for at least 12 months and their hormonal status was verified by serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone. Results showed that postmenopausal women exhibited greater increases from baseline in heart rate during all tasks, relative to premenopausal women, with a particularly pronounced increase during the speech task. Postmenopausal women exhibited greater increases from baseline in systolic blood pressure and epinephrine, relative to premenopausal women, during the speech task only. Explanations for the stressor-specific effect of menopausal status were discussed. The results suggest that reproductive hormones may interact with stressor characteristics to determine middle-aged women's physiological responses to stress.

Estrogen Administration Negatively Alters Mood Following Monoaminergic Depletion and Psychosocial Stress in Postmenopausal Women

“…PMW appear to show greater sensitivity than premenopausal women in their physiologic response to cognitive and speech tasks with the difference being ascribed to both age and hormonal status (Saab et al, 1989). Previous studies of the effects of hormones on various forms of experimental stressors have found that the various forms of estrogen appear to reduce some of the physiologic effects of mild laboratory-induced stress (eg, solving arithmetic problems) (Ceresini et al, 2000).…”

Mood and autonomic responses to repeated exposure to the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups (TSST-G)

“…One subgroup of recruits (TSST-G-2 nd -defence) was asked to imagine that they were falsely accused of shoplifting a belt and were required to make a speech in their defence (Saab et al, 1989;Burleson et al, 2003). The other subgroup (TSST-G-2 nd -presentation) was given a short article about domestic politics, foreign policy, or economics and told that they would have two minutes to read the articles and prepare a speech about the given topic (adapted , 1997).…”

“…To avoid participants presenting a memorized speech or remembering the sequence of correct responses to the mental arithmetic task on the second assessment session, different adaptations of the TSST subtasks have been used in the past: While during the first exposure, the original protocol of the TSST (Kirschbaum et al, 1993) is often applied, during the second exposure the job interview scenario is slightly adapted (Kirschbaum et al, 1995;Schommer et al, 2003;Petrowski et al, 2012) or replaced by a defensive speech in response to a false shoplifting accusation (Saab et al, 1989;Burleson et al, 2003). For the mental arithmetic subtask, most authors change the initial number of the serial subtraction task for the second exposure (Kirschbaum et al, 1995;Schommer et al, 2003;Petrowski et al, 2012).…”

Are changes in blood pressure and total cholesterol related to changes in mood? An 18-month study of men and women.

“…Laboratory studies have also shown smaller SBP responses in premenopausal women or women taking hormone replacement therapy, compared to postmenopausal women not taking hormone replacement therapy (e.g. Saab, Matthews, Stoney & McDonald, 1989;del Rio et al, 1998). Differences in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) responses have been less frequently observed.…”