State Anxiety Is Associated with Cardiovascular Reactivity in Young, Healthy African Americans

Abstract

Although several studies have shown that enhanced cardiovascular reactivity can predict hypertension development in African Americans, these findings have not been consistent among all studies examining reactivity and hypertension susceptibility. This inconsistency may be explained by the influence of anxiety (state and trait) on the blood pressure response to stress. Therefore, this study sought to determine whether anxiety is associated with blood pressure response to cold pressor (CP) and anger recall (AR) stress tests in young healthy African Americans. Modeling using state and trait anxiety revealed that state anxiety predicts systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure DBP response to CP and AR (P ≤ 0.02). Interestingly, state anxiety predicted heart rate changes only to CP (P < 0.01; P = 0.3 for AR). Although trait anxiety was associated with SBP response to AR and not CP, it was not a significant predictor of reactivity in our models. We conclude that anxiety levels may contribute to the variable blood pressure response to acute stressors and, therefore, should be assessed when performing cardiovascular reactivity measures.

Symptoms of anxiety and depression are related to cardiovascular responses to active, but not passive, coping tasks

“…7 One possible explanation for the lack of association is the small sample size and consequent lack of power to detect possible effects, although studies of a similar size reported significant positive correlations. 3,5 Finally, other studies have found that anxiety and depressive symptoms are associated with blunted physiological reactivity. In the largest study to date, Carroll et al 8 assessed depressive symptoms in 1,608 adults.…”

“…For example, Pointer et al reported that state anxiety was positively associated with blood pressure (BP) responses to cold pressor and anger recall in 50 healthy adults. 5 In another study of 60 healthy young women who completed a speech task, depressive symxptoms were positively associated with BP, heart rate (HR), and cardiac output (CO) responses. 3 Thus, these studies suggested that there may be a weak, positive relationship between depressive/anxiety symptoms and cardiovascular reactivity.…”

“…Only two published studies investigated responses to both active and passive coping tasks in healthy participants. 5,13 Pointer et al reported that state anxiety was positively associated with BP responses to both active and passive coping tasks (anger recall and cold pressor) in 50 adults. 5 In contrast, Schwerdtfeger & Rosenkaimer found that BP responses to an active coping task (public speaking) were negatively associated with depressive symptoms, whereas BP responses to a passive coping task (cold pressor test) were not related to depressive symptoms.…”

“…5,13 Pointer et al reported that state anxiety was positively associated with BP responses to both active and passive coping tasks (anger recall and cold pressor) in 50 adults. 5 In contrast, Schwerdtfeger & Rosenkaimer found that BP responses to an active coping task (public speaking) were negatively associated with depressive symptoms, whereas BP responses to a passive coping task (cold pressor test) were not related to depressive symptoms. 13 However, only 55 people participated in the study, nine of whom were excluded from analysis of the cold pressor task, i.e., the sample was smaller than for the active coping task analysis and thus relatively underpowered to detect effects.…”

Association of Type D personality with the autonomic and hemodynamic response to the cold pressor test

“…High depression scores were also associated with attenuated blood pressure and electrodermal reactivity to the cold pressor test in female college students (Schwerdtfeger & Rosenkaimer, ). However, other studies found that the parasympathetic or sympathetic autonomic response patterns were not related to worry (Knepp & Friedman, ), or that anxiety was associated with an increased blood pressure and heart rate response to cold stress (Pointer et al., ).…”