Stress-Induced Blood Pressure Reactivity and Silent Cerebrovascular Disease

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Abstract
Background and Purpose— Exaggerated blood pressure (BP) responses to mental stress, an index of autonomic dysregulation, have been related to enhanced risk for stroke. This study examined cross-sectional relations of stress-induced BP reactivity to silent cerebrovascular disease assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in healthy older adults. Methods— Sixty-seven nondemented, community-dwelling older adults (ages 55 to 81; 75% male) free of major medical, neurological, or psychiatric disease, engaged in: (1) clinical assessment of resting systolic and diastolic BP; (2) assessment of systolic and diastolic BP responses to 3 laboratory-based mental stressors; and (3) MRI. MRIs were rated for small silent infarcts (≥3 mm), infarct-like lesions (Results— After adjustment for age, gender, resting clinic BP, and fasting glucose levels, higher systolic BP reactivity was associated with an increased number of small silent infarcts (r 2 =0.14; P =0.004) and greater severity ratings of periventricular (r 2 =0.08; P 2 =0.06; P 2 =0.08; P 2 =0.08; P 2 =0.11; P =0.009). Conclusions— These results indicate that greater stress-induced BP reactivity is associated with enhanced silent cerebrovascular disease on MRI in healthy asymptomatic older adults independent of resting BP levels. Exaggerated stress-induced BP reactivity warrants further examination as a potential biobehavioral risk factor for cerebrovascular disease.