High Trait Rumination Is Associated with Blunted Nighttime Diastolic Blood Pressure Dipping

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jillian A. Johnson, University of Calgary; Brenda L. Key, St. Joseph’s Healthcare; Faye Routledge, Emory University; William Gerin, The Pennsylvania State University; Tavis S. Campbell, University of Calgary
• Language: English
• Date: 2014-12-01
• Publisher: Springer Verlag (Germany)
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © The Author(s) 2014
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12160-014-9617-8
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Annals of Behavioral Medicine
• ISSN: 0883-6612
• Volume: 48
• Issue: 3
• Start Page: 384
• End Page: 391
• Grant/Funding Information: The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT, & Nunavut provided funding for this study.
• Keywords: STRESS; INDEPENDENT PREDICTOR; DEPRESSION; Psychology, Multidisciplinary; HEART-RATE-VARIABILITY; Psychology; ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION; Nondipping; LEFT-VENTRICULAR MASS; NONDIPPING HYPERTENSION; Social Sciences; Ambulatory blood pressure; Trait rumination; SLEEP QUALITY; Blood pressure dipping; TARGET ORGAN DAMAGE; CARDIOVASCULAR RECOVERY
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, General; Health Sciences, Nursing

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Blunted blood pressure (BP) dipping during nighttime sleep has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Psychological traits have been associated with prolonged cardiovascular activation and a lack of cardiovascular recovery. This activation may extend into nighttime sleep and reduce BP dipping. PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate the association between trait rumination and nighttime BP dipping. METHODS: Sixty women scoring either high or low on trait rumination underwent one 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring session. Self-reported wake and sleep times were used to calculate nighttime BP. RESULTS: High trait rumination was associated with less diastolic blood pressure (DBP) dipping relative to low trait rumination. Awake ambulatory BP, asleep systolic blood pressure (SBP) and DBP, and asleep SBP dipping were not associated with trait rumination. CONCLUSIONS: In a sample of young women, high trait rumination was associated with less DBP dipping, suggesting that it may be associated with prolonged cardiovascular activation that extends into nighttime sleep, blunting BP dipping.