Association between hemodynamic profile during laboratory stress and ambulatory pulse pressure

Hemodynamic responses underlying blood pressure reactivity to laboratory stress are theoretically linked to cardiovascular pathophysiology. The present study investigated whether a vascular response predicted ambulatory pulse pressure, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A new model of hemodynamic profile, previously developed by the authors, was applied to 24-h ambulatory data from 30 female and 34 male healthy young adults. Of these, 40 were monitored during a naturalistic stressor (university examination). For females, hemodynamic profile significantly predicted nighttime systolic blood pressure, and 24-h, day-, and nighttime diastolic blood pressure, but not ambulatory pulse pressure. A vascular or mixed hemodynamic profile significantly predicted 24-h and daytime ambulatory pulse pressure in males. The findings are consistent with theories of pathogenic mechanisms involving vascular changes and suggest that, for males, a vascular or mixed hemodynamic profile measured during laboratory stress may be a risk marker for cardiovascular disease, by its association with ambulatory pulse pressure.