RISK FOR HYPERTENSION AND PAIN SENSITIVITY IN ADOLESCENT BOYS

Reduced pain perception has been observed in many studies of spontaneo usly hypertensive rats and human hypertensive patients. To determine w hether a reduced sensitivity to pain could be observed in a group of c learly normotensive individuals who may be at risk for hypertension, a mild to moderate pain stimulus was administered to 177 14-year-old bo ys. Boys with a normatively elevated resting systolic blood pressure t olerated mechanical finger pressure significantly longer than boys wit h lower blood pressure. As well, boys with both normatively elevated r esting systolic blood pressure and a parental history of hypertension reported significantly less pain during finger pressure than lower ris k participants. These findings could not be explained by personality f actors and suggest that hypertension-related hypoalgesia is associated with processes involved in the development of the disorder.