Acute Stress-Induced Blood Lipid Reactivity in Hypertensive and Normotensive Men and Prospective Associations with Future Cardiovascular Risk

Hyperreactivity to stress may be one explanation for the increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in individuals with essential hypertension. We investigated blood lipid reactivity Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST), a psychosocial stressor, hypertensive and normotensive men tested prospective associations biological factors. Fifty-six otherwise healthy medication-free underwent MIST. repeatedly measured cortisol profiles (total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), high-density (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG)) immediately before up 1 h after stress. Lipid levels were corrected hemoconcentration. Thirty-five participants completed follow-up assessment 2.9 ± 0.12 (SEM) years later. CVD was assessed by changes TC/HDL-C ratio, IL-6, D-dimer, HbA1c from baseline follow-up. The MIST induced significant all parameters except TC (p-values ≤ 0.043). Compared normotensives, hypertensives had higher TC/HDL-C-ratio TG 0.049) responses. Blood predicted future (p = 0.036) increases (ß 0.34, p 0.046), IL-6 0.31, 0.075), D-dimer 0.33, 0.050). Our results suggest that greater hypertensives, their risk. This points as potential mechanism through which might increase