HEART-RATE AND BLOOD-PRESSURE RESTING LEVELS AND RESPONSES TO GENERICSTRESSORS IN VIETNAM VETERANS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER

Resting heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SEP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured on 3 successive mornings in the hom es of drug-free Vietnam combat veterans, classified on the basis of DS M-III-R criteria into current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; n = 20) or non-PTSD (n = 15). Responses to three generic stressor challen ges (orthostatic, mental arithmetic, and cold presser) were also measu red. In the orthostatic stressor condition, DBP increased over time in the non-PTSD, but not in the PTSD, veterans, suggesting a paradoxical ly reduced autonomic response in PTSD. There were no other significant group differences in resting levels or responses to any of the challe nges for any measure.