Relationship between office and ambulatory blood pressure and various stress coping strategies in young adults

Aim . To study the relationship between office and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and various stress coping strategies in healthy young adults. Material and methods . The design of the cross-sectional study included individuals of health status groups I or II aged 20 to 29 years with office BP <140/90 mm Hg. All individuals included in the study underwent office BP measurement and 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). To determine the frequency of coping strategies, a Ways of Coping Questionnaire was used. For statistical analysis, the Stattech program, version 4.0.6 (Russia) was used. Results . The study included 347 participants, including 101 (29,1%) males; the median age was 22 (21-23) years. Linear dependencies were established between office BP and various ABPM parameters with three stress coping strategies: confrontation, avoidance, and seeking social support. The frequency of confrontation correlated with the greatest number of parameters, both assessed in office BP and ABPM. A direct dependence was noted between confrontation and office systolic blood pressure (SBP) (ρ=0,109; p=0,042) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (ρ=0,174; p=0,001), as well as average 24-hour SBP (ρ=0,120; p=0,025) and average day-time SBP (ρ=0,128; p=0,017). The avoidance frequency also directly correlated with the level of office DBP (ρ=0,158; p=0,003). With an increase in avoidance use by 1 point, clinical DBP increases by 0,13 mm Hg. At the same time, an inverse linear relationship was established between the strategy of seeking social support and night-time DBP (ρ=-0,112; p=0,036). With an increase in the frequency of seeking social support by 1 point, a decrease in the average night-time DBP by 0,07 mm Hg is expected. Conclusion . In young people, the level of office and outpatient BP linearly depends on the frequencies of using three models of coping behavior: confrontation, avoidance, and seeking social support.