Life events and elevated blood pressure in young men

The study group was recruited from a population of 18-yr-old men who were subjected to blood pressure screening. Subjects with blood pressure elevation from this group were compared with two samples from the same population, one normotensive and one hypotensive, with regard to self-reported life events. A detailed interview regarding life events during the total life span revealed no significant differences in total mean number of events between the groups. However, there were significant differences with regard to reports of positive life events. More positive events were reported during the later years in the hypotensive group. An analysis of particular events related to separation from family revealed no instances of reported divorce in the families of the hypertensive subjects in contrast to two divorces in the normotensive and four in the hypotensive families. The hypertensive group was divided into two subgroups, those who during an interview session showed consistent vasoconstriction--with more sustained and severe blood pressure elevation--and those who did not--with a less stable blood pressure elevation. These subgroups differed as to mean number of life events and life events perceived as negative. As a parallel to the findings in the main groups, the subgroup with more sustained blood pressure elevation had the smallest number of reported events. The psychosocial differences between the subgroups within the hypertensive group found in the present study is a further indication to the existence of different psychosomatic mechanisms operating.