The Relationship of Stress Perception with Serum Cholesterol in Patients with Essential Hypertension

본태성 고혈압 환자들에서 스트레스지각과 혈청 Cholesterol 간의 관계

This study was aimed at investigating the relationship of stress perception and psychopathology with biological variables such as systolic and diastolic blood pressure. serum total cholesterol high density lipoprotein and triglyceride in 50 adult patients with essential hypertension and 50 normotensive individuals. Both of the groups were matched to each other regarding age, sex, the level of education and BMI(body mass index). Stress perception and psychopathology between the two groups were compared using GARS and SCL-90-R scales. Biological variables such as blood pressure(systolic. diastolic), serum total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein and triglyceride were measured in all the subjects. The results were as follows ; 1) Hypertensive patients scored significantly higher than normotensive individuals in stress perception related to unusual happenings, change or no change in routine and overall global area, respectively. 2) Regarding psychopathology, hypertensive patients scored significantly higher than normotensive individuals in depression. hostility and interpersonal sensitivity. respectively. 3) Systolic blood pressure had a significantly positive correlation with scores of stress perception related to sickness and injury, and change or no change in routine, respectively. Diastolic blood pressure had a significantly positive correlation with scores of stress perception related to change or no change in routine. 4) In hypertensive patients. the level of serum total cholesterol had a significantly positive correlation with scores of stress perception related to unusual happenings. However, the level of serum triglyceride had a significantly negative correlation with scores of stress perception related to changes in relationships, sickness or injury, and change or no chang in routine. 5) There were no significant correlations between scores of stress perception and biological factors in the normotensive group. 6) The level of serum triglyceride correlated negatively with phobic anxiety in hypertensive group. whereas it correlated positively with PSDI in normotensive group. In conclusion, these results suggest that hypertensive patients have higher level of stress perception and psychopathology than normal individuals. In hypertensive patients, their stress perception is suggested to be correlated with serum cholesterol.