865 THE EFFECTS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS IN NOCTURNAL SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE IN ADOLESCENTS DURING AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING

Objective: To determine the effects of psychological stress (PS) in systolic nocturnal blood pressure (NBP) in adolescents during ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Design and Methods: This study was carried out in a random sample of schools from Maracaibo, Venezuela. The participants were 266 adolescents, males (n = 117) females (n = 149), age-mean = 14.43 and standard deviation = 1, 7. Each one of the adolescents were each measured the ambulatory blood pressure and completed the scale of Drs Holmes and Rahe to measure PS1. Statistics Methods: The One-way ANOVA was used to study the effects of psychological stress (PS) in systolic nocturnal blood pressure (NBP) in adolescents during ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Results: The presence of OS was 67.7% (n = 86) and S was 67.7 (n = 180). The means and standard deviations in systolic nocturnal blood pressure was: 110.17 ± 9.3. ANOVA results showed a significant effect for PS factor (F = 4.444 p = 0.033) on systolic nocturnal blood pressure. Conclusions: The results provide evidence for an effect PS in systolic nocturnal blood pressure, which would mean that SP may influence systolic nocturnal blood pressure in this group that is more vulnerable to PS due to hard changes typical of their life stage. It is possible that there is a relationship between symptoms of SP and some indications of abnormal autonomic nervous function that elevate systolic nocturnal blood pressure. References Holmes T H & Rahe (1982). The Social Readjustment Rating Scale. J Psychoson. Res. 11:213-18, 1967. Department Of Psychiatry, University of Washington of Medicine, Seattle, WA.