Primary hypertension, neural tone, and behavior. Role in pressor responses to stress

Patients with primary hypertension follow a hierarchical pattern of hemodynamic and neurohumoral responses to laboratory and environmental mental and physical stress. The stressor responses are regulated by the central and peripheral autonomic nervous system. The psychological and behavioral characteristics of these persons--for example, whether they conform to the Type A pattern of behavior, including hostility and anxiety--alter the magnitude and duration of their stress responses. For some patients, the magnitude of the neurohumoral activation can predict the effectiveness of therapy with sympatholytic and other types of drugs used to treat hypertension.