Cardiovascular reactivity to behavioral stress in young males with and without marginally elevated casual systolic pressures. Comparison of clinic, home, and laboratory measures.

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Abstract
Heart rate (HR), systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure levels were compared in 60 young males during various resting and stressful conditions. Subjects included 29 who had and 31 who had not shown occasional casual SBP readings .gtoreq. 135 mm Hg under low stress conditions. These groups were divided into those who showed above-average and below-average HR increases at onset of a stressful shock-avoidance task (high vs. low HR reactors). High HR reactors, who were equally distributed in both casual SBP groups, showed higher SBP than low reactors during avoidance, and higher HR and SBP during a prestress rest period and 2 other stresses.sbd.the cold pressor test and viewing an erotic film (P < 0.01). During less stressful conditions (relaxation in the laboratory, family doctor readings and self-determinations at home) no HR, SBP or DBP differences were seen between high and low HR reactors. Subjects with casual SBP .gtoreq. 135 showed higher mean SBP than those with casual SBP < 135 under all resting and stressful conditions (P < 0.05), and generally higher DBP. Highest mean SBP levels during prestress rest and later stresses were shown by subjects with casual SBP .gtoreq. 135 and high HR reactivity to the avoidance task, and lowest by subjects with neither trait. Incidence of parental hypertension was greater among high than low HR reactors, and greatest among high reactors with casual SBP .gtoreq. 135; HR reactivity to stress may help predict future hypertension.