A. Lahad et al., HOSTILITY, AGGRESSION AND THE ASSOCIATION WITH HYPERTENSION IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN, Journal of human hypertension, 10, 1996, pp. 115-121
In order to determine whether a hostile attitude is associated with hy
pertension in post-menopausal women, we conducted a cross-sectional st
udy of a sample of post-menopausal women enrollees from the Group Heal
th Cooperative (Seattle, Washington). Outpatient medical records were
reviewed for all subjects, Hypertension was defined as a recorded diag
nosis of hypertension and treatment with an anti-hypertensive drug. Bo
rderline hypertensives were excluded. Women were interviewed by teleph
one and asked the 14 questions comprising the Hostile-Affect (HOS) and
Aggressive-Responding (AGGR) factors of the Cook-Medley hostility sca
le, Scores were grouped into high vs low HOS and AGGR. The AGGR score
was available for 430 hypertensives and 628 normotensives. The HOS sco
re was available for 436 hypertensives and 616 normotensives. High AGG
R scores had a borderline association with hypertension (Odds Ratio (O
R) = 1.26; 95% Confidence interval (CI) = 0.97-1.62). HOS was not asso
ciated with hypertension. Adjusting for age, physical activity, diabet
es mellitus, cholesterol level, tobacco and alcohol use, weight and ra
ce, changed the association of AGGR with hypertension only slightly (O
R = 1.22; CI = 0.92-1.63). We found a weak association between the pre
valence of treated hypertension and AGGR in post-menopausal women, The
re was no association between the HOS component and hypertension. The
results of this study support the need for prospective studies of the
role of psychological factors in the development of hypertension in po
st-menopausal women, If this association is confirmed, AGGR measures m
ay help identify women at high-risk who are most likely to benefit fro
m hypertension screening and primary prevention.