Review
Hypertension and objective and self-reported stressor exposure: a review

https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3999(95)00647-8Get rights and content

Abstract

A review of the literature on the relationship between blood pressure and stressor exposure revealed a discrepancy between the results of studies based on objective measures of stressor exposure and studies based on self-reports. Whereas in the studies based on objective measures, a clear predominance of positive associations between blood pressure level and stressor exposure was found, in the studies based on self-reports, the results were highly inconsistent. Several moderator variables have been proposed that could explain the discrepancies found in the literature, such as awareness of hypertension and treatment. In studies in which these moderators were taken into account, inverse associations between blood pressure and self-reported stressor exposure have often been found. It is suggested that this result is brought about by altered appraisal of stressors in hypertensives.

References (76)

  • A Müller et al.

    Changes in physical symptoms, blood pressure and quality of life over 30 days

    Behav Res Ther

    (1994)
  • AB Zonderman et al.

    Effects of age, hypertension history, and neuroticism on health perceptions

    Exp Gerontol

    (1986)
  • M Davies

    Blood pressure and personality

    J Psychosom Res

    (1970)
  • W Thomas et al.

    Personality profiles of adolescent hypertensives

    Pers Indiv Diff

    (1988)
  • M Rostrup et al.

    Awareness of high blood pressure influences on psychological and sympathetic responses

    J Psychosom Res

    (1992)
  • N Lal et al.

    Life events in hypertensive patients

    J Psychosom Res

    (1982)
  • T Theorell et al.

    Young men with high blood pressure report few recent life events

    J Psychosom Res

    (1986)
  • RS Jorgensen et al.

    Reporting of life events, family history of hypertension, and cardiovascular activity at rest and during psychological stress

    Biol Psychol

    (1989)
  • N Zamir et al.

    Altered pain perception in hypertensive humans

    Brain Res

    (1980)
  • S Bruehl et al.

    The relationship between pain sensitivity and blood pressure in normotensives

    Pain

    (1992)
  • TG Pickering et al.

    Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and cardiovascular reactivity testing for the evaluation of the role of psychosocial factors and prognosis in hypertensive patients

    Am Heart J

    (1988)
  • AC King et al.

    The relationship between repressive and defensive coping styles and blood pressure responses in healthy, middle-aged men and women

    J Psychosom Res

    (1990)
  • A Randich

    Volume loading hypoalgesia in SHR, WKY and F-sub-1 offspring of a SHR ∗ WKY cross

    Brain Res

    (1986)
  • R Karasek et al.

    Healthy Work: Stress, Productivity, and the Reconstruction of Working Life

    (1990)
  • RS Lazarus

    Psychological Stress and the Coping Process

    (1966)
  • RS Lazarus et al.

    Stress, Appraisal, and Coping

    (1984)
  • MG Marmot

    Geography of blood pressure and hypertension

    Br Med Bull

    (1984)
  • AL Miasnikov

    The significance of disturbances of higher nervous activity in the pathogenesis of hypertensive disease

  • A Baum

    Stress, intrusive imagery, and chronic distress

    Health Psychol

    (1990)
  • J Cassel

    Hypertension and cardiovascular disease in migrants: a potential source of clues?

    Int J Epidemiol

    (1974)
  • GJ Harper et al.

    Lack of age-related blood pressure increase in the Gainj, Papua-New-Guinea: another low blood-pressure population [abstract]

    Am J Hum Biol

    (1994)
  • MG Marmot et al.

    Hypertension and heart disease in the Ni-Hon-San study

  • Y Rofé et al.

    Prolonged exposure to a war environment and its effects on the blood pressure of pregnant women

    Br J Med Psychol

    (1983)
  • DA D'Atri et al.

    Crowding in prison: the relationship between changes in housing mode and blood pressure

    Psychosom Med

    (1981)
  • SV Kasl et al.

    Blood pressure changes in men undergoing job loss: a preliminary report

    Psychosom Med

    (1970)
  • S Cobb et al.

    Hypertension, peptic ulcers, and diabetes in air traffic controllers

    JAMA

    (1973)
  • T Theorell et al.

    Job strain and ambulatory blood pressure profiles

    Scand J Work Environ Health

    (1991)
  • ML Fox et al.

    Effects of stressful job demands and control on physiological and attitudinal outcomes in a hospital setting

    Acad Manage J

    (1993)
  • Cited by (0)

    View full text