Anxiety and cardiovascular reactivity in the Tecumseh population

Objective Increased cardiovascular reactivity has been proposed to be a cri tical mediator in the development of hypertension and cardiovascular diseas e. The personality factors associated with cardiovascular reactivity are st ill subject to debate. The studies reported here were undertaken to examine the relationship between trait anxiety and cardiovascular stress reactivit y in a community-based sample (Tecumseh). Design and methods All studies were carried out in an outpatient setting. C ardiovascular reactivity to isometric handgrip and mental arithmetic was as sessed and recorded by automatic blood pressure monitoring in 832 subjects aged 19-41 years. Spielberger trait and state anxiety measures were collect ed immediately before the stressors were applied. Results No differences in baseline heart rate, systolic or diastolic blood pressure were observed across anxiety categories. There was a clear negativ e correlation between trait anxiety and cardiovascular reactivity to mental arithmetic. The pattern was less clear in response to isometric handgrip, Conclusions These results suggest that individuals with high trait anxiety demonstrate reduced cardiovascular reactivity while those with low trait an xiety demonstrate increased reactivity, whereas the opposite might have bee n expected. (C) Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.