Chronic Stress and Endothelial Dysfunction: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)
Year: 2016
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Endothelial dysfunction may represent an important link between chronic stress and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, few studies have examined the impact of chronic stress on endothelial dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to examine whether chronic stress was associated with flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and 2 biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction (intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and E-selectin) in a multiethnic sample of adults (ages 45-84 years). METHODS: Data come from the baseline examination of Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants. Chronic stress was assessed based on self-report of the presence and severity of ongoing problems in 5 domains. FMD was obtained using high-resolution ultrasound; biomarkers were assayed in different subsets of participants. RESULTS: Higher chronic stress was associated with lower absolute FMD (mm FMD) in models adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics (0.169mm in high-stress participants vs. 0.178 and 0.179mm in medium and low-stress participants; P for trend = 0.04). This association remained unchanged with further adjustment for behavioral and biological CVD risk factors. Higher stress was related to higher ICAM-1 in models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and biological risk factors (P for trend = 0.005), but this association attenuated with adjustment for cigarette smoking (P for trend = 0.07). Chronic stress was not associated with E-selectin. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest chronic stress is related to endothelial dysfunction, possibly in part through other stress-associated CVD risk factors such as cigarette smoking.
Source: American Journal of Hypertension
DOI: 10.1093/ajh/hpw103
Institutions: Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Language: English
Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G1261793039, MESA, G1276754516, G1409423729, G1640378483, G1686417863, G2144938473, G22458031, G2262782284, MESA, MESA, G2837638605, G290884426, G291913881, SUBCLINICAL CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE STUDY--EBCT READING, G3647016462, G3687594596, MESA, G399481048, TITLE: MULTI-ETHNIC STUDY OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS (MESA), G4512137732, OPTION 3. 4/1/2014 - 3/31/2015. MULTI-ETHNIC STUDY OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS (MESA) - READING CENTER, NHLBI, MESA, G5088122703, G5108002584, SUBCLINICAL CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE STUDY-ULTRASOUND, G5787256936, G6095866717, G6359107525, Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, MESA, G6514094751, G66341962, MESA, G78770644, Clinical and Translational Science Award, G991334795
OpenAlex ID: W2517473532