Stress-induced arterial hypertension

Stress is considered as one of the factors associated with the development of many diseases, including the cardiovascular system. The history of studying stress as a risk factor for hypertension began in the first half of the 20th century and continued after the introduction of 24-hour blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) into clinical practice. Then it turned out that there is normotension, stable hypertension and latent hypertension: masked (when clinical BP is within the normal range, and arterial hypertension is recorded according to ABPM and/or self-monitoring of BP) and “white coat” hypertension (increased BP during a visit to the doctor when normal values of blood pressure according to ABPM or self-monitoring of BP). Currently, both variants of latent hypertension are classified as stress-induced arterial hypertension. Several models have been proposed for the study of stress, but two of them are more common in clinical studies: the Karasek model (based on an imbalance between job demands and job decision latitude) and the Siegrist model (based on an imbalance of effort and reward). There are only few studies in where attempts have been made to link the increase in BP with the parameters of stress response (for example, with hormonal levels) or genetic predisposition. The review discusses the most significant studies of stress-induced arterial hypertension published to date.