Cardiovascular adaptation to environmental stress: Its role in the development of hypertension, responsible mechanisms, and hypotheses

The interaction of psychological stresses with organismic susceptibility to disease states has been at least implicitly assumed for many years. Recent emphais on cardiac risk factors has provoked much concern regarding the role of psychological stress in the etiology of cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension. The literature reviewed shows that controlled psychological stress has a profound influence on cardiovascular parameters such as arterial blood pressure. Furthermore, there is considerable evidence that the nervous system and renal system are intimately involved in the production of these cardiovascular adjustments. Unfortunately, the research to date has not provided any conclusive evidence which suggests that psychological stress results in chronic cardiovascular pathologies. It is suggested that psychological stress is not both a necessary and sufficient condition for the production of cardiovascular disease. Rather the hypothesis is advanced that an organism must have a physiological predisposition for the pathology before psychological stress will precipitate the disease.