Vernessa R. Clark

The Relationship Among Type A Behavior, Styles Used in Coping with Racism, and Blood Pressure:

The relationship between six cognitive styles used in coping with racism and blood pressure in 32 Black students was studied. It was hypothesized that an apathetic style would be associated with lower blood pressure readings. Also, the relationship between the Type A coronary-prone behavior pattern and blood pressure was examined. As expected, weight was shown to have a strong relationship with blood pressure. The Type A dimension was positively related to diastolic pressure at rest and during mental arithmetic (mild stress). A style associated with a proactive and flexible orientation to the problems of racism was positively cor related with resting systolic blood pressure and the recovery of a diastolic pressure after stress.

Cholesterol Concentrations and Cardiovascular Reactivity to Stress in African American College Volunteers

Cholesterol levels and cardiovascular responses to emotionally arousing stimuli were examined in 60 healthy African American males and females. Cardiac output, stroke volume, contractile force, heart rate, and blood pressure were measured as the participants viewed two racially noxious scenes on videotape. Total serum cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins (HDL), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and triglycerides were measured within 2 weeks of viewing the scenes. Multiple regression analysis showed that LDL and HDL were significant predictors of blood pressure responses. A correlation analysis revealed that total serum cholesterol and LDL were positively correlated with stroke volume, contractile force, and blood pressure reactivity. A possible relationship among stress, β-adrenergic activity, and nonmetabolized free fatty acids is discussed. These findings suggest that cardiovascular reactivity to stress may be a new risk factor for heart and vascular diseases.

Cognitive Skills and BMI on Cardiovascular Responses to Stress

Cognitive Skills and BMI on Cardiovascular Responses to Stress The present study examined the effects of cognitive skills (processing speed, visual memory and auditory memory) and body mass index (BMI) on cardiovascular responses to stress. It was hypothesized that obese participants who score lower on measures of cognitive skills would have greater cardiovascular responses to the stressor than normal weight participants higher scores on the cognitive skills.

The Ability of Eating Behaviorsto Predict Obesity andCardiovascular Hyperactivity

The Ability of Eating Behaviors to Predict Obesity and Cardiovascular Hyperactivity The present study examined the ability of eating behaviors to predict obesity and cardiovascular reactivity to stress. Obesity was operationally defined by Body Mass Index (BMI) which was calculated from the participant’s height and weight. According to Scherwitz and Kesten, unhealthy eating behaviors were defined as food fretting, emotional eating, preference for fast food, task snacking, lack of food appreciation, and the tendency to eat in an active and stressful eating environment. Ninety eight African American college students (21 men, 77 women) between the ages of 18-43 participated in this study. A Hypertension Diagnostic Pulsewave CR 2000 cardiovascular profiling instrument was used to measure heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, stroke volume, and cardiac output. The Your Eating Style Profile questionnaire was used to measure eating behaviors. A Multiple Regression and Correlation analyses revealed that Food Fretting, Emotional Eating, and Sensory, Spiritual Nourishment were negatively associated with cardiovascular reactivity to stress. In addition, Eating Atmosphere and Task Snacking were positively associated with blood pressure responses to stress. A Multiple regression also revealed that Food Fretting significantly predicted BMI, indicating that those participants who worried about the food they ate had greater levels of obesity than their counterparts. The first major finding showed that as hypothesized participants with healthier eating behaviors (low levels of; food fretting, emotional eating, and sensory, spiritual nourishment) were less emotionally aroused by the emotional arousing stimulus. The second major finding revealed that participants who eat in a tense and hectic eating environment and those who snack while performing daily tasks had lower blood pressure responses to the emotional arousing stimulus. The third major finding revealed that although Fast food/Fresh food did not predict any of the cardiovascular measures, it was significantly correlated with all three measures of blood pressure. The correlations revealed that unexpectedly, individuals with a preference for fresh food had higher blood pressures than those with a preference for fast food.

Effects of posture on cardiac dynamics during visual search

Cardiovascular psychophysiologists are employing emerging non-invasive technologies to chart the changes in a variety of parameters of cardiac activity as psychological tasks are performed. One technique, impedance cardiography, makes it possible to assess cardiac output and contractile force while psychological tasks are being performed. This study was designed to determine if facilitating the venous return of blood from the legs would alter the pattern of cardiac changes that have been noted in earlier impedance cardiographic studies of the effects of psychological challenge. Twenty normotensive males performed visual search in upright, sitting and reclining positions and impedance cardiographic assessments of cardiac output and stroke volume, and an index of contractility were obtained. In addition, heart rate and two systolic time intervals were measured. As expected, decreases in stroke volume occurred as heart rate increased during visual search. Hence cardiac output (heart rate X stroke volume) remained stable. Higher levels of cardiac output, stroke volume and contractility were recorded in the reclining versus the upright position. However, the patterns of cardiac activity did not differ before, during and after performance when body position was altered. Hence, posture altered the absolute levels of several cardiac parameters, but did not affect the configuration of cardiac changes associated with performing a mildly challenging task.