ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SOMATIC SYMPTOMS AND 24-HOUR AMBULATORY BLOOD-PRESSURE LEVELS

Objective: To clarify whether somatic complaints in healthy normotensi ve men are associated with differential 24-hour blood pressure and hea rt rate measures. Method: Twenty-four-hour ambulatory systolic and dia stolic blood pressure was monitored in 114 healthy normotensive men, a ged 28 to 63 years, engaged in similar physical work. Means were calcu lated for each hour, for the whole 24-hour period, and for daytime, ni ghttime, and work time. Subjects were interviewed about somatic compla ints, demographic data, and health habits, and body mass index was mea sured. Results: After controlling for possible confounders, a positive association was found between the somatic complaint score and 24-hour , diurnal, and work-time systolic blood pressure (p =.014, p =.007, an d p =.008, respectively). The association with casual systolic blood p ressure was of borderline significance (p =.089). There was a positive trend, which did not reach statistical significance, in the relations hip between somatic complaint score and all measures of diastolic bloo d pressure. Diurnal, 24-hour, and work-time heart rates were highest i n the subjects with the highest somatic scores (p <.01 for all trends) . Conclusions: In healthy normotensive men, somatic complaints are ass ociated with an increased cardiovascular load. The effects of this inc rease on long-term cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are uncertai n and warrant additional study.