News - Hypertension Week of October 26, 2003/ Vol. 2 No. 43

Study: Impatience, Hostility in Young Adults Ups Risk of High Blood Pressure

Impatient and hostile young adults have a greater risk of developing high blood pressure as they age, according to a study reported in the October 22 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association

The study also found that the more intense these behaviors, the greater the risk. Other psychological and social factors such as competitiveness, depression and anxiety did not increase hypertension risk.

"High blood pressure is a complicated condition," said NHLBI Acting Director Dr. Barbara Alving. "Biological and dietary factors are involved in its development. The study suggests that behavior and lifestyle play a role in preventing and managing the condition."

The study involved 3,308 black and white men and women between the ages of 18 and 30 from four metropolitan areas in the United States who were followed for about 15 years.

Each participant had periodic physical examinations, which included blood pressure measurements and self-administered questionnaires. Fifteen percent of all the participants had developed high blood pressure by ages 33-45.

The researchers looked at the effects of impatience, competitiveness, hostility, depression and anxiety on blood pressure. The most impatient individuals had an 84 percent greater risk of developing high blood pressure than those considered patient. The most hostile individuals had an 84 percent higher risk of hypertension, compared to individuals who had the lowest hostility scores.

No significant relationship was found for the other factors.

The researchers acknowledged that the rise in blood pressure due to psychological and social factors is not well understand and is probably caused by complex set of mechanisms. They explained that stress could activate the sympathetic nervous system, causing blood vessels to narrow and blood pressure to go up.

"Although high blood pressure is less common among young adults, young adulthood and early middle age is a critical period for the development of hypertension and other risk factors for heart disease," said study author Dr. Lijing L. Yan, an assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University. "Previous research on young adults is limited, and our study helps to fill that gap."

Other sources: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute