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528684 
Journal Article 
Blood pressure, vasomotor symptoms, and emotional stress in multiethnic menopausal women 
Torigoe, S; Brown, D 
2007 
Yes 
Ethnicity & Disease
ISSN: 1049-510X 
17 
4 
S43-S44 
English 
Estrogen loss during menopause has tentatively been associated with various health problems, including hypertension. Also believed to play a key role in the development of hypertension is excessive emotional stress, which might easily be present during this time of change. Hypertension, which can lead to stroke and kidney disease, is a real danger for menopausal women. As part of the Hilo Women's Health Study, we sought to test the connection between menopause, emotional stress, and increased blood pressure (BP). A random sample of normotensive women aged 4555 years who fulfilled specific conditions were recruited from Hilo's multiethnic population. Study participants were asked to wear an ambulatory BP monitor that measured BP at twenty minute intervals for 24 hours. Women recorded BP, mood, location, hot flashes, and current activity immediately after each reading. When negative moods (ie, anxiety, anger) were reported, participants' BP rose compared to times when their moods were not reported. This change is significant both statistically and clinically. Scores on a hassles and uplifts instrument were not significantly related to mean BP. And while not proving that menopause is a definite factor in long-term hypertension, these findings suggest that blood pressure in menopausal women is influenced considerably in the short-term by stress generated through negative emotional tension. 
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