PARENTAL HISTORY OF HYPERTENSION AND CARDIOVASCULAR-RESPONSE TO STRESS IN BLACK-AND-WHITE MEN

White offspring of hypertensives typically exhibit an elevated cardiov ascular response to stress. Studies of Black offspring of hypertensive s have been fewer, with inconsistent results. This may be due, in part , to incomplete characterizations of hemodynamic responses. This study examines cardiovascular reactivity in Black and White offspring of hy pertensives with a particular focus on vascular resistance responses. A total of 62 healthy normotensive men, 41 with a parental history of hypertension (PH+: 21 Blacks, 20 Whites), and 21 without parental hype rtension (PH-: 7 Blacks, 14 Whites) engaged in a series of laboratory tasks. Both Black and White PH+ participants exhibited elevated diasto lic blood pressure (DBP) responses, but to different patterns of stres sor tasks. Familial differences in total peripheral resistance respons e were also obtained for Black and White participants in a comparison across all tasks, but were particularly evident in tasks when PH+ part icipants had elevated DBP responses. These results suggest that a pare ntal history of hypertension is an important moderator of cardiovascul ar, and in particular peripheral vascular, responses to stress in Blac k and White individuals.