Rachel E Koffer1, Thomas W Kamarck. 1. From the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation (Koffer), Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona; and Department of Psychology (Kamarck), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Aging is theoretically accompanied by emotional gains, but physiological self-regulatory losses. Emotional and physiological regulation can be operationalized as the extent of an increase in negative affect and blood pressure upon experiencing a stressor (i.e., reactivity). The direction of age-based changes in negative affect reactivity to stressors is uncertain. In addition, evidence for age-based increases in blood pressure reactivity to stressors is based largely on age-based differences observed in cross-sectional and laboratory-based studies. The present study is the first to examine long-term longitudinal changes in stress-related reactivity for both blood pressure and negative affect in the natural environment. METHODS: A total of 375 healthy adults aged 50 to 70 years completed 6 days of hourly ambulatory blood pressure assessment and electronic diary reports of social conflict and task demand and control. Two hundred fifty-five participants repeated 3 days of assessment in a 6-year follow-up. With reactivity operationalized as the change in an outcome in association with momentary social conflict, task strain, or task demand (i.e., a model-derived slope parameter), multilevel models were used to assess aging-based change in blood pressure and negative affect reactivity over the course of the 6-year follow-up. RESULTS: Aging is associated with increased diastolic blood pressure reactivity to social conflict and task demand (βsocial_conflict = 0.48, p = .007; βtask_demand = 0.19, p = .005), increases in negative affect reactivity to social conflict and task strain (βsocial_conflict = 0.10, p < .001; βtask_strain = 0.08, p = .016), and increases in systolic blood pressure reactivity to task-based stress (βtask_strain = 1.29, p = .007; βtask_demand = 0.23 p = .032). CONCLUSION: Findings suggest age-based increases in affective and cardiovascular reactivity to natural stressors.
OBJECTIVE: Aging is theoretically accompanied by emotional gains, but physiological self-regulatory losses. Emotional and physiological regulation can be operationalized as the extent of an increase in negative affect and blood pressure upon experiencing a stressor (i.e., reactivity). The direction of age-based changes in negative affect reactivity to stressors is uncertain. In addition, evidence for age-based increases in blood pressure reactivity to stressors is based largely on age-based differences observed in cross-sectional and laboratory-based studies. The present study is the first to examine long-term longitudinal changes in stress-related reactivity for both blood pressure and negative affect in the natural environment. METHODS: A total of 375 healthy adults aged 50 to 70 years completed 6 days of hourly ambulatory blood pressure assessment and electronic diary reports of social conflict and task demand and control. Two hundred fifty-five participants repeated 3 days of assessment in a 6-year follow-up. With reactivity operationalized as the change in an outcome in association with momentary social conflict, task strain, or task demand (i.e., a model-derived slope parameter), multilevel models were used to assess aging-based change in blood pressure and negative affect reactivity over the course of the 6-year follow-up. RESULTS: Aging is associated with increased diastolic blood pressure reactivity to social conflict and task demand (βsocial_conflict = 0.48, p = .007; βtask_demand = 0.19, p = .005), increases in negative affect reactivity to social conflict and task strain (βsocial_conflict = 0.10, p < .001; βtask_strain = 0.08, p = .016), and increases in systolic blood pressure reactivity to task-based stress (βtask_strain = 1.29, p = .007; βtask_demand = 0.23 p = .032). CONCLUSION: Findings suggest age-based increases in affective and cardiovascular reactivity to natural stressors.
Authors: Ruth D Lipman; Paul Grossman; Sarah E Bridges; J W Hamner; J Andrew Taylor Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2002-07 Impact factor: 6.053
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Authors: P A Obrist; C J Gaebelein; E S Teller; A W Langer; A Grignolo; K C Light; J A McCubbin Journal: Psychophysiology Date: 1978-03 Impact factor: 4.016