Spencer C, Reed RG, Votruba-Drzal E, Gianaros PJ. Psychological stress and the longitudinal progression of subclinical atherosclerosis.
Health Psychol 2024;
43:58-66. [PMID:
37917469 PMCID:
PMC10842302 DOI:
10.1037/hea0001333]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
In a midlife sample of adults, the present study tested the extent to which changes in psychological stress relate to the progression of subclinical cardiovascular disease over multiple years and explored the potential moderating role of cardiometabolic risk.
METHOD
Participants were screened to exclude those with clinical cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, and other chronic illnesses, as well as those taking psychotropic, cardiovascular, lipid, and glucose control medications. At baseline (N = 331) and then again at follow-up an average of 3 years later (N = 260), participants completed the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale, underwent assessments of their cardiometabolic risk, and underwent ultrasonography to measure carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), which is a surrogate indicator of subclinical atherosclerosis.
RESULTS
Regression models showed that the change in psychological stress from baseline to follow-up was positively associated with the corresponding change in IMT, with covariate control for age at baseline, sex at birth, and variability in length of follow-up across participants. Cardiometabolic risk factors did not statistically moderate this longitudinal association. In exploratory analyses, cardiometabolic risk factors also did not statistically mediate this association.
CONCLUSION
These longitudinal findings suggest that increases in psychological stress in midlife relate to corresponding increases in subclinical atherosclerosis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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