Enhanced Forearm Blood Flow During Mental Stress in Children of Hypertensive Parents

• Published in: Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. 1979) Tex. 1979), 1987-11, Vol.10 (5), p.544-549
• Main Authors: ANDERSON, ERLING A, MAHONEY, LARRY T, LAUER, RONALD M, CLARKE, WILLIAM R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Arterial hypertension. Arterial hypotension; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Blood Pressure; Cardiology. Vascular system; Child; Clinical manifestations. Epidemiology. Investigative techniques. Etiology; Female; Forearm - blood supply; Heart Rate; Humans; Hypertension - genetics; Male; Medical sciences; Regional Blood Flow; Stress, Psychological - physiopathology; Vascular Resistance
• ISSN: 0194-911X; 1524-4563
• DOI: 10.1161/01.hyp.10.5.544

This study compared changes in forearm blood flow, forearm vascular resistance, blood pressure, and heart rate elicited by mental stress (mental arithmetic) in 12 adolescents with a hypertensive parent and 13 age-matched adolescents with normotensive parents. The two groups did not differ in resting forearm blood flow, forearm vascular resistance, heart rate, or blood pressure. During mental stress, children with a family history of hypertension had a significantly greater increase in forearm blood flow than did children of normotensive parents (+ 37.5 ± 8.0 vs +12.8 ± 7.5%; p < 0.05) and a trend toward reduced forearm vascular resistance (p = 0.08). Mental stress significantly increased systolic blood pressure (p < 0.0001), diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.001), and heart rate (p < 0.03) in both groups. The blood pressure and heart rate responses to stress were not significantly different between groups. There was no evidence of a prolonged response or a different pattern of recovery in children with a family history of hypertension. This study indicates that regional blood flow responses underlying similar blood pressure increases during mental stress may be different in adolescents with and without a family history of hypertension.