Repressive coping and blood measures of disease risk: Lipids and endocrineand immunological responses to a laboratory stressor

Relations between repressive coping and a variety of health-related variabl es, including insulin, lipids, catecholamines, and cellular immune componen ts, were investigated in a laboratory study of acute stress among a sample of healthy male college students (N = 83). Compared to nonrepressors, at ba seline, repressors had fewer numbers of circulating CD4 (T-helper) cells, g reater numbers of natural killer (NK) cells, lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL), a higher total/HDL cholesterol ratio, and higher fasting insulin le vels. In response to an acute laboratory stressor (Stroop Color Word Confli ct Test), repressors demonstrated an attenuated increase in the number of c irculating NK cells compared to nonrepressors. Confounds such as physical a ctivity, age, and smoking were unrelated to the dependent measures.