High Blood Pressure Dampens Emotional Response

Higher blood pressure may play a role in an individual'semotional response, smoothing out emotionalhighs and lows, explained the authors of a studyreported in Psychosomatic Medicine (July/August2004). For the study, the researchers tested 65 participants'resting blood pressure, and then rated theiremotional response to a series of positive and negativephotographs. Using scales of "happy to unhappy"and "calm to excited," the participants rated theirreactions to the photographs. The study's findingsshowed that higher blood pressure can be associatedwith altered emotional responses to a wider rangeof stimuli. The researchers indicated that increases inblood pressure may help individuals cope withintense psychological stimulation by limiting theiremotional reactions.