MENSTRUAL-CYCLE EFFECTS ON CATECHOLAMINE AND CARDIOVASCULAR-RESPONSESTO ACUTE STRESS IN BLACK BUT NOT WHITE NORMOTENSIVE WOMEN

This study examined cardiovascular and catecholamine responses to two standardized laboratory stressors in 33 healthy age- and weight-matche d black and white normotensive women (mean age, 32 years) during two p hases of the men strual cycle. Subjects were studied in a randomized o rder at the same time of day on two separate occasions approximately 6 weeks apart, once during the follicular phase (days 7 to 10 after men ses) and once during the luteal phase (days 7 to 10 after the leuteniz ing hormone surge) of the menstrual cycle. Black women had higher syst olic (P=.01) and diastolic (P=.01) pressures compared with white women . Black women showed greater diastolic pressure (P<.01) and plasma epi nephrine (P<.05) responses to stress during the follicular compared wi th the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle; white women showed no sign ificant changes in these variables. The findings extend the literature on race differences in responsivity to stress and indicate that in co ntrast to white women, reproductive hormones do influence cardiovascul ar and catecholamine responsivity to stress in black women.