Personality characteristics influencing determinacy of day and night blood pressure and heart rate

Abstract

The evidence of emotional impacts on day and night blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and non‐dipping of BP remains fragmentary. Personality traits previously tested by self‐reports as determinants of office, screening or mean daytime BP produced mixed results. Therefore, we hypothesized that some traits are acting together as modifiers of 24‐h and day/night ambulatory BP and HR. A population sample of healthy 47–54 year‐old men, n = 85, unaware of their BP status, was evaluated. In multiple regression, 25% of the 24‐h systolic BP (SBP) variation was explained by independent augmenting predictors Trait Anger–Anger Expression Styles, Large and Lasting Emotions, and by an attenuating predictor Anxiety. Only Verbal Aggression increased night‐time SBP much more than daytime SBP and diminished day–night dipping of SBP. Strong Large/Lasting Emotions and Indirect Aggression increased daytime SBP only. Day and night HR increased with a high Suspicious Hostility (7.4% of variation), in particular with items Distrust/Vulnerability (11.5% of variation). In conclusion, mean levels of HR and BP during a 24‐h period are slightly modified by particular personality traits. Some traits appear to affect either daytime or night‐time periods more. Day to night carry‐over effects on SBP may occur.