FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information:Bob Schwadron212-732-6111, Ext. 213ASH Press Room: 212-536-4910 (May 14-18)
WORK AND MARRIAGE INFLUCES BLOOD PRESSURE
NEW YORK, NY -- Marriage can influence high blood pressure, Canadian researchers reported at the Seventeenth Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension.
They also found that men whose jobs caused mental strain were more likely to have higher blood pressure than men whose jobs did not cause stress. Women remained unaffected by on-the-job stress.
"Our understanding of how psychosocial factors impact sustained blood pressure has greatly increased since research moved from the laboratory to the natural environment," explained Brian Baker, FRCPC, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto.
Dr. Baker and colleagues examined whether job strain and marital factors were related to sustained blood pressure and the heart in 103 unmedicated men and women. "They showed signs of early hypertension," he said, "when it is most likely for psychosocial factors to have their effect."
The 103 men and women had 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Of that group, 72 underwent echocardiography to measure left ventricular mass (which is affected by sustained increase or decrease in blood pressure). All completed psychosocial questionnaires at baseline and three years later.
"We showed that, at baseline, marriage, but not work was related to left ventricular mass at three years," Dr. Baker said. "If marital adjustment was worse, left ventricular mass was greater."
Left ventricular mass in those with a strong marriage decreased eight percent while it increased 6.26 percent in the weak marital support group. The strong marital support group also had lower diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure than the weak marital support group.
"The strong martial support group desired less change in their marriages and, over time, communication was better and contact greater between spouses than their counterparts," Dr. Baker said. "At baseline, those with better marriages actually had more job demands."
As for the difference between men and women and on-the-job stress, he said there might be differences in the formulation of job strain between the sexes.
Dr. Baker noted that the study was a secondary analysis that was conducted on at risk individuals. "We do not know if our findings apply to those with normal blood pressure," he said. "Our group is now examining the impact of the interaction of work and home ('double exposure') on health in men and women with high and normal blood pressure."
The American Society of Hypertension (ASH) is the largest US organization devoted exclusively to hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases. ASH is committed to alerting physicians, allied health professionals and the public about new medical options, facts, research findings and treatment choices designed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
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