Abstract

Background: Hypertension accounts for 13.5 million deaths worldwide every year and is one of the most prevalent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Numerous studies suggest a significant link between cardiovascular reactivity to stress and the development of future hypertension. Most of the previous research has focused on hypertensive patients directly, aiming to predict their stress reactivity rather than exploring their offspring. So, in the present study, we attempted to find out whether there is an effect of acute mental stress on cardiovascular reactivity and changes in heart rate variability (HRV) in children of hypertensive parents. Material and Methods: This case-control study includes sixty participants from the general population, adhering to specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Among these, 30 participants were young adults aged 18 to 22 years, with at least one parent diagnosed with essential hypertension according to JNC VII guidelines. Additionally, thirty control participants were selected, consisting of healthy young adults matched for age and sex, who are children of parents with no family history of hypertension. Acute mental stress was induced using problem-solving questions from the MENSA workout questionnaire. Cardiovascular reactivity and heart rate variability were assessed in resting, stress, and recovery stages. Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± Standard Deviation (S.D.). An unpaired t-test was employed to compare the means between the two groups. A p-value of less than 0.05 is considered significant. Results: Following acute mental stress, children in the hypertensive group exhibited a notable rise in cardiovascular reactivity (p-value≤0.005). In the heart rate variability test, a significant reduction in Total power (p-value≤0.005) was noted during the stress phase, while a substantial increase in low frequency (p-value≤0.005) occurred in the recovery phase. Conclusion: This study observed increased cardiovascular reactivity and decreased overall heart rate variability, indicating heightened sympathetic activity and diminished vagal tone in subjects prior to hypertension onset. The rising rates of childhood hypertension, coupled with increased cardiovascular reactivity and reduced heart rate variability, underscore the urgent need for primary preventive measures and targeted intervention strategies for this at-risk group

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