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Inconsistent associations have been reported between perceived stress and C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation. We previously observed a male-specific inverse relationship between perceived stress and CRP in a cross-sectional study. In the present study, we examined the longitudinal association between changes in perceived stress and CRP, and further analyzed whether changes in coping strategies and social support modify this association. This study included 8454 participants in both a baseline survey and a follow-up survey 5 years later. Psychosocial measures (i.e. perceived stress, coping strategies, and social support) and CRP concentrations were measured by identical means in both surveys. Consistent with our previous findings, increased perceived stress was significantly associated with lower CRP in men (p trend  = .037), but not in women. Increased "emotional expression," a coping strategy, was also associated with lower CRP in women (p trend  = .024). Furthermore, interactions between perceived stress and a coping strategy (positive reappraisal) or social support on CRP were found in men (p interaction  = .007 and .038, respectively); the above inverse association between stress and CRP was not detected for participants with diminished positive reappraisal or social support. In conclusion, increases in perceived stress during a 5-year period were associated with decreases in CRP among healthy men, and the observed association was possibly modified by coping strategy or social support.

Background: Accumulated evidence suggests a weak positive relationship between psychosocial stress and body mass index (BMI), but little is known about stress coping strategies and BMI., Objective: We aimed to examine if perceived stress and coping strategies are related to BMI, with any of their mutual interactions on BMI., Methods: This cross-sectional study included 5,063 men and 6,982 women aged 40-69 years. A self-administered questionnaire ascertained perceived stress and 5 items of coping strategies (emotion expression, emotional support seeking, positive reappraisal, problem solving, and disengagement). Analyses were performed by gender with adjustment for age, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle factors., Results: No significant associations were detected between perceived stress and BMI in either men (P(trend) = 0.09) or women (P(trend) = 0.58). In men, however, 'disengagement' showed an inverse association with BMI (P(trend) < 0.001), and 'positive reappraisal' and 'problem solving' revealed a positive association with BMI (P(trend) = 0.04 and 0.007, respectively) even after controlling for perceived stress. A possible interaction between perceived stress and 'disengagement' on BMI was found in men (P(interaction) = 0.027); the inverse association between 'disengagement' and BMI was more evident in higher levels of stress (β = -0.13, P(trend) = 0.21 in low; β = -0.22, P(trend) = 0.01 in medium; and β = -0.24, P(trend) = 0.06 in high). In men, 'disengagement' was inversely associated with overweight/obesity (odds ratio 0.79, 95% confidential interval 0.67-0.95), and "positive reappraisal" was positively associated with it (1.25, 1.02-1.54)., Conclusions: Coping strategies may have an important role in developing overweight/obesity, particularly in men.

Background: Perceived stress and coping strategies may influence the risk of cardiovascular disease through their possible association with inflammation, but data remain controversial for perceived stress or scanty for coping strategies., Purpose: We examined the associations of perceived stress and coping strategies with serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) in a Japanese general population., Methods: This cross-sectional study included 2,971 men and 4,902 women aged 40-69 years who were enrolled between 2005 and 2007. Subjects with possible inflammation-related disease, CRP levels ≥3,000 ng/mL, or currently used analgesics or lipid-lowering drugs were excluded. Analyses were performed by gender with adjustment for lifestyle, socioeconomic, and psychosocial factors., Results: Unexpectedly, elevated perceived stress was significantly associated with lower CRP levels in men (P trend < 0.001) but not in women (P trend = 0.90) after adjustment for age and covariates. Among five items of coping strategies evaluated, "disengagement" showed a significant inverse association with CRP in men only (P trend = 0.027). In addition, a possible interaction between "emotional support seeking" and perceived stress on CRP was detected in men (P interaction = 0.021); "emotional support seeking" was associated with lower CRP at the high stress level only (P trend = 0.028)., Conclusions: Both perceived stress and coping strategies may be associated with systemic inflammation in Japanese men, yet caution must be exercised before accepting the stress-inflammation-disease pathway.