Stress-induced blood pressure reactivity and cardiovascular disease risk

Abstract

People are exposed to various acute and chronic stressors in daily life. Usually, blood pressure increases quickly in response to acute physical and psychological stressors. The pressor response to acute stress is explained primarily by cardiovascular regulatory mechanisms of the sympathetic nervous and endothelial systems. It has been found, by long-term follow-up studies across a wide range of generations, that exaggerated blood pressure reactivity to acute stress is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), including hypertension. The association between exaggerated blood pressure reactivity to acute stress and increased future CVD risk may be explained by sympathetic effects, mechanical effects, and prothrombotic changes. Consequently, it is possible that stress management, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and improvement in the psychosocial environment, may be effective, at least in part, against future CVD due to the weakening of stress-induced blood pressure reactivity from childhood to adulthood.

Keywords

• acute stress
• blood pressure reactivity
• cardiovascular disease