Abstract
American Indian adults are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease compared with non-Hispanic white adults. Scant research exists examining the underlying physiological and psychological mechanisms associated with these risks. This study aimed to examine possible psychological and physiological stress-related mechanisms related to cardiovascular disease risk in healthy American Indian and non-Hispanic white adults. Forty American Indian (60% female, Mean age = 19.93, SD = 2.08 years) and 45 non-Hispanic white (70% female, Mean age = 20.18, SD = 2.22 years) participants attended an in-person laboratory session. Salivary cortisol and cardiovascular activity were measured before (baseline), during, and after exposure to a 10-minute mental arithmetic task. Compared to non-Hispanic white participants, American Indian had diminished salivary cortisol (p < .001), blood pressure (p’s < .001), and heart rate (p = .041) responses to acute psychological stress. These effects could not be accounted for by differences in task performance or self-reported engagement. Previous research has shown that exaggerated responses to stress are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, diminished responses to stress are associated with early childhood stress and future adverse behaviors (e.g., addiction, obesity). Diminished reactivity may influence behaviors that can impact future development of cardiovascular disease in American Indian populations.
Highlights
American Indian adults are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease compared with nonHispanic white adults
We asked American Indian participants whether they previously lived on a tribal reservation and whether they were enrolled in a tribe
We found that across SBP, DBP, heart rate (HR), and cortisol, American Indians (AIs)/Alaska Natives (ANs) college students had significantly blunted responses to acute psychological stress compared to non-Hispanic White students
Summary
American Indian adults are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease compared with nonHispanic white adults. This study aimed to examine possible psychological and physiological stress-related mechanisms related to cardiovascular disease risk in healthy American Indian and non-Hispanic white adults. Compared to non-Hispanic white participants, American Indian had diminished salivary cortisol (p < .001), blood pressure (p’s < .001), and heart rate (p = .041) responses to acute psychological stress. These effects could not be accounted for by differences in task performance or self-reported engagement. The indigenous people of the United States, or American Indians (AIs) and Alaska Natives (ANs), are a diverse population, comprised of over 550 federally recognized tribal nations Each of these tribal nations have distinct, cultures, communities, values and languages. It has been proposed that blunted reactivity may lead to an increase in adverse behaviors which in turn lead to increased risk for cardiovascular disease (Ginty et al, 2016)
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