LOW BLOOD-PRESSURE ASSOCIATED WITH LOW MOOD - A RED HERRING

Objective. Several reports have discussed a relationship between blood pressure (BP) and psychological well-being scales. Lower BP readings were associated with higher levels of psychological distress and fatig ue. This study sought to replicate the association found by previous s econdary analyses of epidemiological surveys. Design. Cross sectional study. Setting. Academic Family Medicine Department in Toronto, Canada . Subjects. 214 practice attenders. Study measures. Extent of psycholo gical abnormalities with the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), self reported fatigue, in-clinic and home BP measurements. Results. No sign ificant relationship between blood pressure levels and GHQ-score or fa tigue could be demonstrated. This applies to clinic and home measureme nts for systolic and diastolic pressure. Neither adjustment for age or sex nor for several confounders through multiple linear regression pr oduced significant associations in the postulated direction. No nonlin ear relationship could be shown either. The study had a power of 95% t o detect a correlation of r = 0.22 (alpha = 0.05, one-sided). Conclusi on. The study, specifically addressing the possible link between blood pressure and psychological dysfuntion/fatigue, could not confirm the previously reported association. Problems related to type-I error in e pidemiological research are discussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.