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. 2005 May;23(5):1001-7.
doi: 10.1097/01.hjh.0000166841.57474.d0.

Stress-induced increases in interleukin-6 and fibrinogen predict ambulatory blood pressure at 3-year follow-up

Lena Brydon  1 , Andrew Steptoe
Affiliations

Stress-induced increases in interleukin-6 and fibrinogen predict ambulatory blood pressure at 3-year follow-up

Lena Brydon et al. J Hypertens. 2005 May.

Abstract

Background: The biological mechanisms underlying the association between psychological stress and hypertension are poorly understood. Increased plasma concentrations of the inflammatory proteins interleukin-6 and fibrinogen are commonly reported both in hypertensive patients and in people subject to chronic psychological stress. Recent laboratory studies have also shown that acute psychological stress increases plasma interleukin-6 and fibrinogen concentrations in healthy individuals.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between stress-induced inflammatory responses and blood pressure using a longitudinal design.

Methods: Participants were 153 individuals from the Whitehall II cohort. Blood pressure, plasma interleukin-6 and fibrinogen were assessed in response to an acute laboratory stressor, and ambulatory blood pressure was monitored on a separate day. Three years later, a follow-up day of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was carried out.

Results: Individual differences in systolic pressure, fibrinogen and interleukin-6 stress responses predicted ambulatory blood pressure at the 3-year follow-up. Larger increases in ambulatory systolic pressure over the 3-year period were predicted by larger acute fibrinogen and interleukin-6 stress responses, independently of previous ambulatory blood pressure, acute blood pressure stress responses, age, sex, body mass and smoking.

Conclusion: Given the important roles of interleukin-6 and fibrinogen in hypertensive pathophysiology, these results indicate that psychological stress could promote hypertension through stimulating these inflammatory proteins.

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