CARDIOVASCULAR BEHAVIOR AND THE RELAXATION RESPONSE

目的是更好地了解高血压是如何发生的。 受松弛反应的激发的影响。具体目标 是对a)常规引诱的效果的评估 松弛反应对血浆去甲肾上腺素反应性和 未用药高血压患者对苯肾上腺素的瞳孔反应 并将这些发现与之前在 血压正常的受试者；b)有规律地激发 未用药患者血浆去甲肾上腺素反应性的松弛反应 高血压病患者对心理应激反应的研究 与直立位和直立位试验的结果进行比较 等长应激；c)规则的降压效果 未用药高血压患者松弛反应的激发 及其对其他心血管危险因素的影响；以及d)预测性 肾素钠和心理状态在降血压中的价值 在未服用药物的高血压患者中，他们被教导定期诱导 松弛反应。 为了实现这些特定的目标，随机、前瞻性对照 将进行交叉调查。血液的测量 血压，心率，血浆去甲肾上腺素水平，血浆肾素活性， 瞳孔-对苯肾上腺素的反应，以及心理特征 被执行。 这项拟议研究的意义在于，重要的是 更好地理解所涉及的机制，并在 使用现在推荐的高血压行为疗法，也就是， 引发放松反应的技巧。高血压是一种健康 困扰美国6000多万人的疾病，以及 极大地导致心脏病发作、中风和其他血管疾病 疾病--当今这个国家的主要死亡原因。

The objectives are the better understanding of how hypertension is influenced by elicitation of the relaxation response. The specific aims are the evaluation of a) the effects of regular elicitation of the relaxation response on plasma norepinephrine responsivity and pupillary-response to phenylephrine in unmedicated hypertensive patients and the comparison of the findings to those observed previously in normotensive subjects; b) the effects of regular elicitation of the relaxation response on plasma norepinephrine responsivity in unmedicated hypertensive patients in response to psychological stress and the comparison of the results to those obtained in response to orthostatic and isometric stress; c) the blood-pressure lowering effects of the regular elicitation of the relaxation response in unmedicated hypertensive patients and its effects on other cardiovascular risk factors; and d) the predictive value of renin-sodium and psychological profiles in blood-resssure lowering in unmedicated hypertensive patients who are taught to regularly elicit the relaxation response. To accomplish these specific aims, a randomized, prospective controlled cross-over investigation will be performed. Measurements of blood pressure, heart rate, plasma norepinephrine levels, plasma renin activity, pupillary-response to phenylephrine, and psychological profiles will be carried out. The significance of this proposed research is that it is important to understand better the mechanisms involved and to be more specific in the use of the now-recommended behavioral treatments of hypertension, that is, techniques that elicit the relaxation response. Hypertension is a health disorder that afflicts over 60 million individuals in the United States and significantly contributes to heart attacks, strokes and other vascular disorders--the major causes of death in this country today.