The Association of Social Status and Blood Pressure With Markers of Vascular Inflammation

Abstract

These results suggest that low-social-status individuals may incur risk for future vascular diseases through vascular inflammation.

Circulating levels of cell adhesion molecules in hypertension

“…Similar to our findings literature reports elevated levels of sE-selectin (16)(17)(18), with exceptions by DeSouza et al (19) and Ferri et al (20); s-P-selectin (21-24), sICAM-1 (11,17,19,25,26) and sVCAM-1 (17)(18)(19) in hypertension. In the present study, as compared to controls increasing trend of sPECAM-1 in hypertension group was also observed.…”

“…Soluble levels of some of these molecules such as E-selectin, P-selectin, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 have been explored in essential hypertension (16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26). The relationship between Creactive protein (CRP) and hypertension has also been studied (27,28) wherein prevalence of hypertension was demonstrated to be high in subjects with second, third and fourth quartile of high sensitivity (hs) CRP as compared to subjects in the first quartile.…”

Early childhood poverty, immune-mediated disease processes, and adult productivity

“…Animal models show that occupying subordinate social positions is associated with proinflammatory shifts in cytokine signaling pathways (40), and other recent evidence suggests that exposures to early low SES environments are linkable to similar immune changes in human children (36,41,42). Low childhood SES is associated with higher blood levels of the acutephase reactant C-reactive protein, cytokine IL-6, and TNF-α (43), and low SES children are more likely to develop a proinflammatory phenotype, placing them at risk for inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, autoimmune disorders, and cancer (44). Furthermore, immune-mediated chronic disease states, such as arthritis and other activity-limiting conditions, have established effects on job performance and market productivity, and even high blood pressure, plausibly mediated, in part, by proinflammatory changes, can hasten work-relevant declines in cognitive functioning (45)(46)(47)(48).…”

Inflammation a possible link between economical stress and coronary heart disease

“…Although the influence of inflammatory processes in CHD is widely acknowledged, data on the possible association between immune activity and economical stress or other indicators of SES are sparse. The evidence relating inflammatory markers to SES is limited [17][18][19][20][21][22].…”