HOPELESSNESS AND PESSIMISM--HYPERTENSIVE HEART DISEASE

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We propose to investigate the relationship of cognitive factors, specially pessimistic attributional style, to cardiovascular and neuroendocrine reactivity at rest, in response to and during recovery from laboratory and natural life stressors. A bi-racial sample of 80 postmenopausal women (age 40-69) and 40 aged-matched men will be recruited to participate. Blood pressure and its hemodynamic components (stroke volume, total peripheral resistance) will be measured during a laboratory protocol consisting of resting baseline, three stressor tasks (speech, mental arithmetic, and cold pressor ice tasks) and recovery periods. Plasma catecholamines and cortisol will also be measured at baseline and during stressors. The relationship of attributional style to blood pressure and neuroendocrine parameters will be assessed, controlling for variables quantifying demographic information and known risk factors for hypertension (socioeconomic status, parental history of hypertension). The association of attributional style with 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and urinary cortisol measurements will also be assessed.