Ambulatory Blood Pressure Response to Romantic Partner Interactions and Long-Term Cardiovascular Health Outcomes.

Abstract

Lower blood pressure (BP) during romantic partner interactions may underlie the association between romantic relationships and better long-term cardiovascular health. This secondary analysis examined the effect of momentary ambulatory BP (ABP) response to partner interactions on between-person changes in left ventricular mass index and mean systolic and diastolic BP over time. Participants were 538 married, working adults (mean [SD] = 46.9 [8.8] years, 56.7% female) with a screening BP of ≤160/105 mm Hg. Participants completed questionnaires, 24-hour ABP monitoring, and an echocardiogram at waves 1 and 2 (mean [SD] = 6.2 [1.0] years later). Associations between ABP response to partner (versus nonpartner) interactions and cardiovascular outcomes were examined using multilevel structural equation models. Participants with lower diastolic BP during partner interactions at wave 1 had a lesser increase in systolic BP at wave 2 (B = 1.68, SE = 0.61, p = .006; 9.84 mm Hg differential change in systolic BP for participants at +1/-1 SD diastolic ABP response to partner interactions). Participants with lower diastolic ABP during partner-specific interactions at wave 1 also had a lesser increase in diastolic BP (B = 0.83, SE = 0.42, p = .045; 4.89 mm Hg differential change in diastolic BP at +1/-1 SD). Systolic ABP response to partner-specific interactions did not predict changes in cardiovascular outcomes; diastolic ABP response did not predict changes in left ventricular mass index. Momentary diastolic ABP response to partner-specific interactions may function as a mechanism underlying the cardioprotective effect of romantic relationships on long-term BP outcomes.