PARENTAL HISTORY OF HYPERTENSION, MENSTRUAL-CYCLE PHASE, AND CARDIOVASCULAR-RESPONSE TO STRESS

The present study examined whether inconsistent findings for elevated cardiovascular response to stress in female offspring of hypertensives might be a function of 1) lack of control for menstrual cycle phase, and 2) stressor type employed. Thirty healthy women (18-35 years), hal f of whom were offspring of hypertensives, were tested in both the lut eal and follicular phases of the menstrual cycle. Order of testing was counterbalanced between subjects and cycle phase was confirmed by mea surement of serum sex hormone levels. In each session, subjects were e xposed to four tasks: the cold presser test, interpersonal speech, sho ck-avoidance video-game, and reading. The most consistent menstrual cy cle effect was for offspring of normotensives who exhibited higher dia stolic blood pressure and state-anger responses to the speech task in the follicular compared with the luteal phase. Though menstrual cycle had no consistent effect 04 offspring of hypertensives, their luteal p hase diastolic blood pressure and state-anger responses to the speech task were elevated compared with controls. Potential limitations of th e observed familial differences in luteal phase response are discussed .