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. 2014 Oct;48(2):246-55.
doi: 10.1007/s12160-014-9600-4.

Divergent associations of antecedent- and response-focused emotion regulation strategies with midlife cardiovascular disease risk

Allison A Appleton  1 , Eric B Loucks, Stephen L Buka, Laura D Kubzansky
Affiliations

Divergent associations of antecedent- and response-focused emotion regulation strategies with midlife cardiovascular disease risk

Allison A Appleton et al. Ann Behav Med. 2014 Oct.

Abstract

Background: It is not known whether various forms of emotion regulation are differentially related to cardiovascular disease risk.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess whether antecedent and response-focused emotion regulation would have divergent associations with likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease.

Methods: Two emotion regulation strategies were examined: reappraisal (antecedent-focused) and suppression (response-focused). Cardiovascular disease risk was assessed with a validated Framingham algorithm that estimates the likelihood of developing CVD in 10 years. Associations were assessed among 373 adults via multiple linear regression. Pathways and gender-specific associations were also considered.

Results: One standard deviation increases in reappraisal and suppression were associated with 5.9 % lower and 10.0 % higher 10-year cardiovascular disease risk, respectively, in adjusted analyses.

Conclusions: Divergent associations of antecedent and response-focused emotion regulation with cardiovascular disease risk were observed. Effective emotion regulation may promote cardiovascular health.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors’ Statement of Conflict of Interest and Adherence to Ethical Standards Authors Appleton, Loucks, Buka, and Kubzansky declare that they have no conflict of interest. All procedures, including the informed consent process, were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow chart of included and excluded study participants. NEFS New England Family Study, TTURC Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center, CVD cardiovascular disease
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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