Effects of psychological stress on hypertension and gender differences in middle-aged population of China

Objective To examine the relationship between psychological stress and hypertension in different gender groups.Methods 4,385 community-based individuals aged 40~60 were included in the analysis by cluster sampling method. Hypertension was defined according to the Seventh report of the Joint National Committee. Psychological stress included stress at work or/and stress at home. General stress was defined as experiencing either stress at work or stress at home. The risk factors of hypertension were comprehensively collected. Logistic regression were used to measure relationship between psychological stress and hypertension. Results General stress had an OR of 1.26(95% CI: 1.09, 1.45) for hypertension compared with non stress in total population. According to stress at work and stress at home, increased risk was found in female after adjustment for others risk factors. The ORs were 1.29(95% CI: 1.03, 1.61) and 1.23(95% CI: 1.01, 1.51). But this increased risk for hypertension was not found in male. Conclusion Being psychological stress was associated with an increased risk for hypertension. However the risk role of psychological stress was not consistent in male and female.