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Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T19:49:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2022-02-01 Objective The present study aimed to analyze the association of 2-year changes in BMI and waist circumference with changes in blood pressure (BP) in a randomized sample of community-dwelling adults. Methods A sample of 331 middle-aged and older adults (mean age of 59.6±17.3years) was randomly selected. Measurements of SBP and DBP, BMI, and waist circumference were collected at baseline and after 2-year follow-up. Chronological age, sex, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and self-reported medical diagnosis and use of medication for hypertension, diabetes, and high low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol were covariates. Multiple linear regression models were adopted for statistical analysis. Results SBP was positively associated with BMI (β=0.48, P=0.013) and waist circumference (β=0.21, P=0.005) at baseline and only with waist circumference at follow-up (β=0.20, P=0.007). DBP was positively associated with BMI (β=0.31, P=0.009) and waist circumference (β=0.12, P=0.006) values at baseline and at follow-up (BMI β=0.42, P=0.001; waist circumference β=0.18, P=0.001). Only the 2-year changes in waist circumference were associated to changes in SBP (β=0.33, P=0.013), regardless of confounding factors and BMI. Conclusion It is suggested that waist circumference is the main factor for control over the time in strategies focused on BP management in adult population. Movement Science Post-graduation Program Physical Education Department Universidade Estadual Paulista - Unesp Post-graduation Program in Rehabilitation Science Universidade Nove de Julho UNINOVE Post-Graduation Program in Physical Education Physical Education Department Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC Centre for Research on Exercise Physical Activity and Health School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences The University of Queensland Research Center in Physical Activity health and Leisure (CIAFEL) Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR) Faculty of Sports - University of Porto (FADEUP) Movement Science Post-graduation Program Physical Education Department Universidade Estadual Paulista - Unesp

Introduction: Prior research on the association of anxiety with hypertension has yielded mixed results. Despite the high burden of both conditions in Hispanics/Latinos, little is known about their association in this population. This study examined the longitudinal relationship of trait anxiety with changes in BP and incidence of hypertension. Hypothesis: Higher trait anxiety at Visit 1 (V1) will be associated with greater increases in BP and incident hypertension over 6 years. Methods: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) is a multi-center prospective community-based study of 16,415 diverse Hispanics/Latinos ages 18-74 at V1 (2008-11). Data included 11,048 participants with complete information on BP, trait anxiety, and other variables at V1 and V2 (2014-17). Trait anxiety was measured at V1 using the 10-item Spielberger Trait Anxiety Scale, which was dichotomized into low and high using a cut-point of 20 points, the top quartile in the HCHS/SOL cohort. BP was measured using a standardized protocol and validated automated device. Hypertension was defined as systolic BP ≥ 140 or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mm Hg or self-reported antihypertensive medication use. Linear regressions were used to examine the association of anxiety with BP change; to account for medication use, 9 mmHg and 6 mmHg were added to systolic and diastolic BP of treated participants, respectively. The association of anxiety with incident hypertension at V2 was examined using Poisson regression among those without hypertension at V1 ( N = 7,878). Estimates were adjusted for complex survey design, sociodemographic factors, baseline BP, antidepressant/anxiolytic medication use, and health conditions. Results: Mean baseline age was 45.8 years and 60% were women. Mean change was 3.13 ( SE = 15.67) in systolic and 0.21 ( SE = 9.73) in diastolic BP. Individuals with high, compared to those with low, trait anxiety had greater increases in systolic ( B = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.28-1.93, p = 0.009) and diastolic BP ( B = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.11-1.27, p = 0.02) over 6 years, after adjusting for covariates. Individuals with high, relative to those with low, trait anxiety had an 18% higher risk of hypertension (RR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.03-1.34, p = 0.012). Conclusions: Elevated trait anxiety is associated with small increases in BP over 6 years and an 18% higher risk of hypertension among diverse Hispanics/Latino adults. Research on the mechanisms underlying these relationships among Hispanics/Latinos is warranted to develop effective interventions to prevent and treat hypertension in this population.

To assess the associations of newly defined blood pressure (BP) categories by the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline and changes in BP with the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among the middle-aged and older Chinese.Among 29 086 participants aged 61.6 years from the Dongfeng-Tongji (DFTJ) cohort, we estimated the hazard ratio for CVD using Cox proportional hazard models.As BP increased, we found a significant trend for greater risk of incident CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke. Compared with the BP120/80 mmHg, those having stage 1 hypertension (BP of 130-139/80-89 mmHg) had an increased risk of CVD [hazard ratio of 1.29 (1.18-1.42)], CHD [hazard ratio of 1.27 (1.15-1.41)] and stroke [hazard ratio of 1.36 (1.10-1.70)], respectively. The effect of stroke was only presented in those aged at least 60 years, but not for those aged less than 60 years; whereas no age-specific association for CHD and CVD was found. Particularly, significantly increased risk of CVD (18%), CHD (14%) and stroke (37%) appeared even with elevated BP (120-129/80 mmHg). Over a 5-year period, compared with individuals with stable BP less than 130/80 mmHg, those who maintained stage 1 hypertension had 43% increased risk for CVD, which was more prominent among those age at least 60 years. Relative to stable BP (-5 to 5 mmHg), a rise in SBP at least 15 mmHg and DBP at least 5 mmHg conferred 15 and 16% higher CVD risk; whereas the risk of CVD and CHD had 25 and 22% reduction with a decrease in SBP greater than15 mmHg, but not with DBP.Newly defined stage 1 hypertension and elevated BP were associated with increased risk of incident CVD, whereas long-term changes of SBP and DBP had effects of varying degree on CVD incidence.

Background: Extremes of both high and low systolic blood pressure (SBP) after mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in large artery occlusion stroke are known predictors of unfavorable outcome. However, the effect of SBP change (ΔSBP) during the first 24 hour on MT outcomes remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between ΔSBP at different time intervals and thrombectomy outcomes. Methods: We analyzed thrombectomy treated patients registered in the SITS International Stroke Thrombectomy Registry from 2014-01-01 to 2019-09-03. The primary outcome was 3-month unfavorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score 3-6). We defined ΔSBP as mean SBP of given time intervals after MT (0-2h, 2-4h, 4-12h, 12-24h) minus admission SBP. Multivariable mixed logistic regression models were used to adjust for known confounders and center as random effect. Subgroups analyses were included to contrast specific subpopulations. Restricted cubic splines were used to model the associations. Results: The study population consisted of 5835 patients (mean age 70 years, 51% male, median NIHSS 16). Mean ΔSBP was -12.3, -15.7, -17.2, and -16.9 for the time intervals 0-2h, 2-4h, 4-12h, 12-24h, respectively. Higher ΔSBP was associated with unfavorable outcome at all time intervals. Restricted cubic spline models suggested that increasing ΔSBP was associated with unfavorable outcomes, with higher values showing an even higher risk of unfavorable outcomes. (Figure 1). Successful reperfusion (mTICI ≥2b) retained an association between ΔSBP and outcomes, while unsuccessful reperfusion (mTICI Conclusion: Up to our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the relation between ΔSBP at different time intervals and the outcome of MT. BP increase after thrombectomy in large artery occlusion stroke is associated with poor functional outcome. The association between ΔSBP and poor outcome differed by reperfusion status.

Background: The landmark Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) showed that more intensive systolic blood pressure treatment (SBP < 120 mm Hg) was associated with lower risk for cardiovascular events and mortality but higher risk for serious adverse events (SAEs). However, it is unclear if the magnitude and/or the direction of the BP change determines SAE risk. In this study, we aim to determine how the magnitude and direction of BP change impacts SAE risk. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of 7922 participants in SPRINT. Time-varying Cox proportional hazards models were used to explore the relationship between visit-to-visit BP change and SAE risk. BP change was categorized using five intervals: 1) decreases ≥30 mm Hg, 2) decreases 10-29 mm Hg, 3) increases or decreases Results: The hazard ratio (HR) for SAEs compared to the minimal BP change category was greatest for BP increases above 30 mm Hg (HR = 1.62, 95% confidence interval [1.30, 2.01]). However, the HR was similar for sharp BP decreases over 30 mm Hg (HR = 1.52 [1.23, 1.87]). Milder BP increases and decreases were associated with lower SAE risk (HR = 1.18 [1.06, 1.32] and HR = 1.10 [0.98, 1.22] for BP changes 10 to 30 mm Hg and -30 to -10 mm Hg, respectively). There were no significant interactions between BP change, intensive treatment, and baseline ASCVD risk. Conclusions: SAE risk was similar for similarly sized increases and decreases in BP between visits, with higher magnitude changes associated with higher SAE risk. When accounting for the magnitude of BP change, no significant effect of intensive treatment or baseline ASCVD risk was found.

Background Home blood pressure is a more accurate prognosticator than office blood pressure and allows the observation of day‐to‐day blood pressure variability. Information on blood pressure change during the life course links the prediction of blood pressure elevation with age. We prospectively assessed age‐related trends in home blood pressure, home pulse rate, and their day‐to‐day variability evaluated as a coefficient of variation. Methods and Results We examined 1665 participants (men, 36.0%; mean age, 56.2 years) from the general population of Ohasama, Japan. A repeated‐measures mixed linear model was used to estimate the age‐related trends. In a mean of 15.9 years, we observed 5438 points of measurements including those at baseline. The home systolic blood pressure linearly increased with age and was higher in men than in women aged 40 years. However, an U‐shaped age‐related trend in day‐to‐day diastolic blood pressure variability with the nadir point at 65 to 69 years of age was observed. No significant sex differences in the day‐to‐day blood pressure variability were observed ( P ≥0.22). The average and day‐to‐day variability of home pulse rate decreased with age but were lower and higher, respectively, in men than in women. Conclusions The current descriptive data are needed to predict future home blood pressure and pulse rate. The data also provide information on the mechanism of day‐to‐day blood pressure and pulse rate variability.

Prior studies indicate that hypertension is associated with mechanical systolic dysfunction, even in the presence of a normal ejection fraction, but whether this cardiac dysfunction may be ameliorated by antihypertensive treatment is unknown.To test the hypothesis that mechanical systolic dysfunction in hypertension may respond to blood pressure-lowering therapy, we studied 182 patients with uncontrolled hypertension who underwent a 24-week trial of intensive versus standard antihypertensive therapy (titrated to a goal SBP130 versus140 mmHg) and had both baseline and follow-up echocardiography. We examined changes in left ventricular systolic function, reflected by systolic global longitudinal strain (GLS), in the entire cohort and in the subset of patients with systolic dysfunction at baseline (defined as GLS-15%).Despite all patients having a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (≥50%), almost a third (32%) had mechanical systolic dysfunction at baseline. In the total sample, GLS significantly improved in response to antihypertensive therapy (-16.8 ± 3.8 to -18.7 ± 3.4%; P 0.0001), and this improvement was especially evident in patients with baseline dysfunction (13.1 ± 2.2 to -17.0 ± 2.9%; P 0.0001). Improvement in GLS was associated with lower BMI (P = 0.015) and was greater in women than in men (P = 0.003). Although uncorrelated with blood pressure change, GLS improvement was related to having received high doses of antihypertensive therapy during the study (P = 0.040).In patients with hypertensive heart disease and normal left ventricular ejection fraction, abnormalities in left ventricular mechanical systolic function can be ameliorated in the setting of targeted antihypertensive treatment.

Hypertension during pregnancy is one of the diagnostic criteria for preeclampsia. We investigated the pattern of blood pressure (BP) change across pregnancy and associations of risk factors for preeclampsia with BP changes in normal pregnancy.We examined repeat antenatal BP measurements (median 14 per woman) of 11,789 women from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children cohort with a live-term birth and no evidence of preeclampsia or previous hypertension. Linear spline random effects models with knots at 18, 30 and 36 weeks gestation described changes in BP with gestational age.On average, SBP and DBP decreased slowly until 18 weeks and rose from 18 weeks onwards, with increasing rate at 30 weeks and then again at 36 weeks. In obese women, BP was higher at 8 weeks and rose more slowly between 18 and 30 weeks and more rapidly between 30 and 36 weeks than in normal-weight women. Nulliparous women had higher BP at 8 weeks and faster increases in DBP from 30 weeks and SBP from 36 weeks onwards than multiparas. Women who smoked throughout pregnancy had lower BP at 8 weeks and throughout pregnancy; women who only smoked in the first trimester soon attained the same pattern of change as never smokers. In twin pregnancies, BP rose more rapidly from 30 weeks onwards than in singleton pregnancies.Established preeclampsia risk factors are associated with higher BP in early pregnancy and faster BP increases later in gestation in normal pregnancy, suggesting a continuum of risk.

One large cross-sectional study across four countries suggests that glutamate intake may be inversely associated with blood pressure (BP). The aim of this analysis was to investigate a possible association between monosodium glutamate (MSG) intake and change in blood pressure over 5 years.Data from 1227 Chinese men and women who participated in the Jiangsu Nutrition Study (JIN) were analyzed. In this study, MSG intake and blood pressure were quantitatively assessed in 2002, and followed-up in 2007.MSG intake was associated with a significant increase in SBP and DBP. A strong sex interaction was observed in relation to SBP change. Women with high MSG intake were more likely to have increased SBP and DBP. Total glutamate intake was also positively associated with an increase in SBP. In those chronically taking antihypertensive medications, there was a strong association between MSG intake and an increase in DBP.MSG intake may have independent BP-increasing effects, especially among women and those taking hypertension medications at baseline and follow-up.

To establish the relationship between intraocular pressure (IOP) and obesity in children.Seventy-two obese children (body mass index in the 95th percentile or greater) were compared with 72 age-matched and sex-matched controls (body mass index95th percentile). Both groups underwent Goldmann applanation tonometry (3 times), blood pressure measurement (3 times), and Hertel exophthalmometry. Paired and unpaired t tests and the Cochran-Mantel-Haenzel statistics were used for statistical analysis.The mean IOP between the obese children and controls were significantly different (P0.0001), even after adjusting for systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P0.001). Diurnal variation of IOP was higher in obese children (P0.001). Obese children had higher Hertel values (P0.001). Sex did not significantly effect IOP in either group (P0.05).In addition to its indirect effect on IOP via blood pressure change, obesity is also an independent risk factor for increased IOP.

Diets characterized by high intakes of fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products (for example, the DASH diet) have been shown to reduce blood pressure in adults. The effects of similar diets on children's blood pressure are unknown.We used 8 years of follow-up data from 95 children, initially 3 to 6 years of age at enrollment in the prospective Framingham Children's Study in 1986. The yearly clinic visits included 5 measures of blood pressure obtained with an automated device. Diet was assessed by means of replicate sets of 3-day food diaries during each year.Children who consumed more fruits and vegetables (4 or more servings per day) or more dairy products (2 or more servings per day) during the preschool years had smaller yearly gains in systolic blood pressure throughout childhood. By the time of early adolescence, children with higher intakes of fruits and vegetables and dairy products had an adjusted mean (+/- standard deviation) systolic blood pressure of 106 +/- 2.9 mm Hg, whereas those with lower intakes in both food groups had a mean systolic blood pressure of 113 +/-1.5 mm Hg. Those with higher intakes of fruits and vegetables alone or dairy alone had intermediate levels of systolic blood pressure in adolescence. The effects on diastolic blood pressure were weaker.These results suggest that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and dairy products may have beneficial effects on blood pressure during childhood.

The objective of this study was to compare the difference between celecoxib and rofecoxib on blood pressure change. A retrospective review of medical records where the mean blood pressure in a 90-day period before and after start of the cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors, celecoxib, and rofecoxib was compared. Data were abstracted from 249 patient records, of which 109 were included. The mean systolic blood pressures at baseline were comparable at 134.14 mm Hg and 134.05 mm Hg for the celecoxib (n = 52) and rofecoxib groups (n = 57), respectively (P = NS). A nonsignificant decrease in systolic blood pressure was observed for the celecoxib group (-1.15 mm Hg), while a statistically significant increase in systolic blood pressure was seen in the rofecoxib group (4.76 mm Hg, P = 0.044). The mean diastolic blood pressures at baseline were not significantly different between the two groups, and changes in the postperiod were also not statistically different compared with baseline values. The average total daily dose of COX-2 inhibitor was 219.2 mg for celecoxib and 25.23 mg for rofecoxib. A post hoc analysis of patients aged 65 years and older showed that the mean systolic blood pressure in the rofecoxib group increased by 7.37 mm Hg (P = 0.016), while there was an insignificant decrease for the celecoxib group (-1.94 mm Hg). This study showed that there were no significant changes in blood pressure after celecoxib initiation. While in the rofecoxib group, there was a significant increase in systolic blood pressure with an even greater increase for patients aged 65 years and older.

BACKGROUND Neuroendocrine dysregulation and disturbed sleep, frequently seen in major depression, may interfere with circadian blood pressure regulation. DESIGN AND METHODS Using a portable device, 24 h blood pressure profiles were registered in 69 depressed in-patients and 26 hospitalized, non-depressed comparison subjects. The use of antihypertensive medication was considered to be indicative of known arterial hypertension. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were compared between the group of depressed patients not taking antihypertensive medication and the healthy comparison subjects, both for the entire 24 h of measurement, and for the daytime and night-time periods. In a subgroup of patients, circadian blood pressure follow-up data were obtained after 5 weeks of antidepressant therapy. RESULTS Depressed patients not receiving antihypertensive medication (n=52) had higher mean 24 h systolic blood pressure levels than non-depressed comparison subjects (125.5+/-14.7 versus 119.6+/-13.3 mmHg, P

Life scientists, especially those of us from a previous generation (or two), were trained to focus our efforts on generating large mean differences between groups or large changes with interventions while minimizing variability. The goal was to maximize effect size, thereby optimizing the chance of generating a statistically significant difference or change that, in turn, increased the odds that the data would be publishable. And, yes, even “way” back then, publications were still the “coin of the realm.” Article see p 294 However, investigators from more recent generations, and even some from previous generations, have finally begun to realize that the variability among individuals or their responses to interventions are also important. This realization was quite pointedly brought to my attention in an initial discussion with a geneticist about a possible collaboration. He asked, “How does blood pressure change with exercise training?” I responded, “Our previous reviews indicate that the average change in systolic and diastolic blood pressure with exercise training is …,” at which point he stopped me and asked, “No, what was the variability in the responses?” Not surprisingly, given my training in the previous generations as a life scientist, I did not have an answer. Thus began my path to recognizing the importance of the interindividual variability in responses to exercise training. This variability took on even more importance at that time in light of the relatively recently initiated Human Genome Project and its potential to produce a new era of personalized medicine. That thought-provoking question spurred me to revisit some of my previous data but now with a focus on the interindividual variability for the exercise training-induced responses of the cardiovascular (CV) disease risk factors that I studied throughout my career. Sure enough, interindividual variability in these responses is substantial! Most of us missed this potentially …

Higher diastolic pressure predicted better survival in men 75 years or older in two prior analyses in the Rancho Bernardo population. Diastolic change was implicated as a possible explanation. We studied this by assessing survival according to blood pressure change in 795 men and women aged 75 years and older at the time of a second measurement taken an average of 11 years after the first, who were then followed for 5 years. Sex-specific analyses compared participants with a diastolic decrease of 5 mm Hg or greater and participants with a systolic decrease of 10 mm Hg or greater with those whose blood pressure levels did not change or increased. In men, after adjustment for baseline pressure, a decrease in diastolic pressure of 5 mm Hg or greater was associated with higher all-cause mortality (relative risk, 2.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.39 to 3.91) and cardiovascular mortality (3.13, 1.47 to 6.66). The mortality risk was strongest in men who took antihypertensive medication and had a fall in diastolic pressure (12.33, 2.73 to 55.72) compared with treated men whose pressures did not decrease. Among men with isolated systolic hypertension, those treated whose diastolic pressure remained stable had the best survival. A systolic fall in men and a decrease in either diastolic or systolic in women was not associated with poorer survival after adjustment for baseline pressure. We conclude that a fall in diastolic pressure of 5 mm Hg was associated with poor survival in men after age 75. This risk was strongest in men who took antihypertensive medication.

Objective:A high intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFAs), has been associated with reduced levels of blood pressure (BP) in epidemiological studies and in controlled trials. Their antihypertensive action may be due to the reduction of the omega-6/omega-3 ratio and the resulting

Entry blood pressure (BP) was greater than screening pressures and fell significantly after randomization to placebo. The entry pressure was significantly greater but the fall after entry was less in those who had a cardiovascular event during 5.5 years follow-up. Thus, patients with high entry pressure that remained elevated during follow-up had the highest event rates

Serial data were analyzed for blood pressure recorded between the ages of 9 to 18 years for 278 children and for a subset of this group whose blood pressure was measured at the age of 30 +/- 5.0 years (n = 93). Blood pressures were measured by auscultation over the antecubital fossa with the participant seated. Systolic blood pressure was recorded when the first sound was heard, and diastolic blood pressure was recorded when all sounds disappeared (fifth phase). A linear regression model was fitted to the data for each individual, and adjustments were made for regression toward the mean using maximum likelihood procedures. There were no significant correlations between the estimated initial values of blood pressure and the rate of change from 9 to 18 years of age. The associations between the levels of blood pressure at 9 years of age and at 30 years of age were significant for systolic blood pressure only in male subjects and were not significant for diastolic blood pressure in either sex. The correlations between the rate of blood pressure change from 9 to 18 years of age and blood pressure levels at 30 years of age were nonsignificant. When the initial values and the rate of change in blood pressure from 9 to 18 years of age were taken into account simultaneously, they accounted for approximately 20% of the variation in systolic blood pressure levels at 30 years of age. This finding indicates that children with higher blood pressure levels at about 9 years of age and with rapid increases in blood pressure during pubescence may have an increased risk of becoming hypertensive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Differences in blood pressure associated with reported happiness, anger, and anxiety are examined among 90 borderline hypertensives during 24-hr blood pressure monitoring. There were 1152 individual ambulatory blood pressure readings for which subjects classified their emotional state as happy (n = 628), angry (n = 67), or anxious (n = 457) on scales from one (low) to ten (high). Pressures were transformed to z-scores using the subject's 24-hr mean and standard deviation to assess relative elevation during reported emotional arousal. The results show that emotional arousal significantly increases systolic and diastolic pressure (p less than 0.00001), an effect independent of posture and location of subject during measurement (at work, home, or elsewhere). On average, pressures during reported angry or anxious states were higher than those during a happy state (p less than 0.01). Examination of arousal intensity showed that scores on the happiness scale were inversely related to systolic pressure (p less than 0.01) whereas the degree of anxiety was positively associated with diastolic pressure (p less than 0.02). Emotional effects were also related to the degree of individual daily pressure variation such that the greater the variability, the larger the blood pressure change associated with the emotions. The results suggest that happiness, anger, and anxiety increase blood pressure to differing degrees and that emotional effects may be greater in individuals with more labile blood pressure.

A study was conducted to delineate further the physiological mechanisms underlying the type A behavior pattern's influence on coronary heart disease. It was suggested that while chronically elevated blood pressure is apparently not associated with overall A--B distinctions (at least not for males), acting in a type A fashion may be accompanied by temporary increases in blood pressure. Changes in the speech characteristics of 33 black inner-city women during the A--B interview and subsequent unstructured dialogue were analyzed at one-minute intervals and correlated with concomitant blood pressure measurements. Differences in the speech characteristics of women classified type A as opposed to B were consistent with recent studies of white males (e.g., type As spoke significantly faster than type Bs). Further, within-subject blood pressure elevations were significantly associated with louder/more explosive, longer speech episodes. Additional research is urged which examines biochemical and physiological changes as a function of type A behavior considered as a transient state as well as a relatively enduring trait.

A patient's blood pressure may vary considerably and not be a sign of a pathological process in the patient. Environmental factors which cause blood pressure changes are climate, temperature and time of day. There are also age and sex differences in blood pressure. Body and extremity position, activity and exercise, food, tobacco and alcohol consumption, and psychological stress are behavioral factors which alter blood pressure. When the nurse practitioner measures a patient's blood pressure, as many transient variables as possible need to be controlled. Those factors which cannot be controlled must be carefully evaluated so the NP does not erroneously interpret the blood pressure change as a sign of pathology.

In a study that examined further Singer's model of engagement-involvement in a community nursing setting, 31 black inner-city women conversed informally with a nurse while their blood pressure was monitored at two-minute intervals using a Hoffman-LaRoche Arteriosonde. Type A (coronary-prone) and hypertensive subjects were judged to not display greater engagement than type B and normotensive subjects, respectively. Within-subject correlations between observers' ratings of engagement and blood pressure showed substantial differences across subjects. Nevertheless, for correlations based on engagement judgments corresponding to the minute immediately preceding the blood pressure determination the mean within-subject values ranged from .14 to .32 (mean = .20) and were all significantly different from zero. Attention is directed to the need for refining the criteria used for judging engagement and to identifying patients for whom increased engagement may invalidate blood pressure measurements in a clinical setting.

ONE of the most common acute physiologic insults occurring to man is hemorrhage. If sufficiently rapid and of adequate magnitude, hemorrhage per se is uniformly lethal. If of lesser magnitude or more prolonged, it may initiate a recognizable syndrome of body responses which have been termed "hypovolemic shock." Some clinical situations such as bleeding peptic ulcers, esophageal varices, or vascular tumors are examples of relatively pure hemorrhage. Unfortunately, however, most shocklike states are the result of a multiplicity of stresses; and also, unfortunately, shocklike states in which hemorrhage plays a part usually are associated with other factors such as tissue trauma, body exposure, or psychic turmoil. For example, the excited, frightened soldier has a shell fragment wound of the buttock which has severely damaged the muscle masses, perforated the rectum, and cut the hypogastric artery. He has lain in a cold rain for two hours before being carried into the