Are changes in blood pressure and total cholesterol related to changes in mood ? an 18-month study of men and women.

Abstract

We investigated the within-person association of reported mood with blood pressure and total cholesterol (TC) levels, each assessed 4 times over an 18-month period in 128 men and 154 women. Results showed that change over time in level of tense arousal was significantly positively associated with changes over time in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), but not TC. A change in hedonic tone was significantly associated with a change in SBP (such that an increase in negative affect was associated with an increase in SBP), but not in DBP or TC. There were no sex differences in associations of mood with SBP or TC; but increases in tense arousal and negative affect were significantly associated with an increase in DBP for women, while these associations were not significant for men.