Defensive coping, urbanization, and neuroendocrine function in Black Africans: the THUSA study

Area of Science:

• Neuroendocrinology
• Cardiovascular Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• A dissociation between behavioral and physiological responses to stress, specifically active coping (AC), is linked to cardiometabolic risk in urban African men.
• The role of neuroendocrine dysfunction in this dissociation and its association with urbanization remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between coping style, urbanization, and neuroendocrine function in Black African men.
• To determine if neuroendocrine factors mediate the relationship between urban living, active coping, and cardiovascular risk.

Main Methods:

• 178 Black African men were assessed for blood pressure and serum stress hormones across different urbanization levels (rural vs. urban) and coping styles (active vs. passive).
• Statistical analyses were used to examine the relationship between urbanization, coping style, hormone levels, and blood pressure.

Main Results:

• Urban men exhibited higher hypertension prevalence, an alpha-adrenergic hemodynamic pattern, lower testosterone, and a higher cortisol:testosterone ratio (Cort:Test) compared to rural men.
• In urban active coping (AC) men, cortisol and Cort:Test significantly explained blood pressure variance (36-40%).
• A dissociation between behavioral and physiological beta-adrenergic neuroendocrine responses was observed in urban AC men.

Conclusions:

• Urban environments may contribute to a loss of physiological control and disturbed neuroendocrine active coping (AC) responses in African men.
• This neuroendocrine dysregulation, particularly in urban AC individuals, is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk.