ETHNICITY, GENDER, FAMILY HISTORY OF MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION, AND HEMODYNAMIC-RESPONSES TO LABORATORY STRESSORS IN CHILDREN

Relationships among ethnicity, gender, grandparents' histories of earl y myocardial infarction, and hemodynamic responses to forehead cold an d treadmill exercise were examined in 87 6-to-8-year-olds (57 White, 3 0 Black). Boys had greater increases in systemic vascular resistance a nd decreases in cardiac index to forehead cold. Girls had greater incr eases and quicker recovery in heart rate to dynamic exercise. Blacks h ad greater increases and slower recovery in diastolic pressure to exer cise and forehead cold. Blacks showed greater increases and slower rec overy in systemic vascular resistance to forehead cold. Positive-famil y-history children had greater increases in diastolic pressure and sys temic vascular resistance to forehead cold and greater diastolic press ure increases to exercise. Positive-family-history Blacks had greater increases in systolic pressure to exercise and slower recovery than al l other groups.