Association between Mental Health and Arterial Stiffness in Middle-aged and Older Adults

Abstract

Background: Mental stress is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, little is known about the impact of mental stress on arterial function in middle-aged and older adults. Objective: This study is aimed to investigate the association between mental stress and arterial function in this population. Methods: A total of 156 healthy middle-aged and older adults (aged 50–79 years) participated in this study. Mental stress was evaluated by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and arterial stiffness was measured by the Carotid-femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (cfPWV). Results: cfPWV was significantly correlated with the GHQ score, even after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and cholesterol, triglyceride, and glucose. Multiple regression analysis further indicated that GHQ score was a significantly independent determinant of cfPWV (p < 0.05). Conclusion: GHQ is positively associated with arterial stiffness, independent of the potential confounding factors in healthy middle-aged and older adults.

Keywords

• Pulse wave velocity
• general health questionnaire
• elderly
• stress