AGE AND GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEART-RATE REACTIVITY AND ELEVATED SERUM-LIPIDS

Data on serum lipids and heart rate reactivity to a standardized menta l arithmetic stressor were collected on 54 healthy men and 73 healthy women. Subjects' ages ranged from 18 to 61 years, allowing analysis of data from both young and older subgroups. MANOVA revealed that age wa s directly associated with elevated lipids in men and women. There was no significant relationship between reactivity and lipids for either older or young men. Conversely, young women showed a significant direc t relationship between reactivity and Total Cholesterol and LDL, but t his was not present for older women. Implications of these data for th e previously reported hypothetical relationship between reactivity and lipids are discussed. Limitations of the study are examined, and futu re directions for research suggested.