OBJECTIVE: This study explores cardiovascular reactivity during an acute-stress task in a sample of recently separated adults. DESIGN: In a cross-sectional design, we examined the association between adults' subjective separation-related distress and changes in heart rate and blood pressure across the acute-stress laboratory paradigm in a sample of 133 (n = 49 men) recently separated adults. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Heart rate (HR) and Blood pressure (BP) were recorded across a resting baseline period, a math stressor task, and a recovery period. RESULTS: Multilevel analyses revealed that adults who reported greater separation-related distress exhibited higher initial BP and a slower linear increase in BP across the study period. In addition, adults reporting greater separation-related distress evidenced significantly slower declines in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) following the acute-stress task. HR reactivity was not moderated by separation-related distress. CONCLUSIONS: In recently separated adults, preliminary evidence suggests that the context of the stressors may reveal differential patterns of problematic reactivity (exaggerated or blunted responding). Greater emotional intrusion and hyperactivity symptoms may index increased risk for blunted cardiovascular reactivity to general stressors. This pattern of reactivity is consistent with models of allostatic load that emphasise the deleterious effect of hyporesponsivity to environmental demands.
OBJECTIVE: This study explores cardiovascular reactivity during an acute-stress task in a sample of recently separated adults. DESIGN: In a cross-sectional design, we examined the association between adults' subjective separation-related distress and changes in heart rate and blood pressure across the acute-stress laboratory paradigm in a sample of 133 (n = 49 men) recently separated adults. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Heart rate (HR) and Blood pressure (BP) were recorded across a resting baseline period, a math stressor task, and a recovery period. RESULTS: Multilevel analyses revealed that adults who reported greater separation-related distress exhibited higher initial BP and a slower linear increase in BP across the study period. In addition, adults reporting greater separation-related distress evidenced significantly slower declines in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) following the acute-stress task. HR reactivity was not moderated by separation-related distress. CONCLUSIONS: In recently separated adults, preliminary evidence suggests that the context of the stressors may reveal differential patterns of problematic reactivity (exaggerated or blunted responding). Greater emotional intrusion and hyperactivity symptoms may index increased risk for blunted cardiovascular reactivity to general stressors. This pattern of reactivity is consistent with models of allostatic load that emphasise the deleterious effect of hyporesponsivity to environmental demands.
Authors: Frank A Treiber; Thomas Kamarck; Neil Schneiderman; David Sheffield; Gaston Kapuku; Teletia Taylor Journal: Psychosom Med Date: 2003 Jan-Feb Impact factor: 4.312
Authors: Lynda H Powell; William R Lovallo; Karen A Matthews; Peter Meyer; A Rees Midgley; Andrew Baum; Arthur A Stone; Lynn Underwood; Judith J McCann; Kristi Janikula Herro; Marcia G Ory Journal: Psychosom Med Date: 2002 May-Jun Impact factor: 4.312
Authors: Arun S Karlamangla; Burton H Singer; Bruce S McEwen; John W Rowe; Teresa E Seeman Journal: J Clin Epidemiol Date: 2002-07 Impact factor: 6.437