The relationship between cardiac reactivity in the laboratory and in real life.

Abstract

An excessive cardiovascular response to acute stress is a probable risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) disease. Such reactivity is usually assessed from the CV response to laboratory stressors. However, if it is a risk factor, correlated responses must occur in real life. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between the heart rate (HR) response to five laboratory stressors and HR reactivity in the field. HR variation, the response to a real life stressor (public speaking), and the increase in HR with periods of self-reported tense arousal. Ambulatory HR, activity and posture were measured continuously over a 7-hr period. The HR increase to laboratory stressors did not relate to HR variation consistently, but it did relate to the other two field measures. The results suggested that a tendency to increased HR reactivity may be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease when combined with exposure to stress.