EPA-0598 – Psychological Risk Factors in Essential Hypertension:New Insights to Gender Variations

Abstract

Introduction:

Modern psychosomatic research has found multiple evidence for an impact of psychosocial factors on the development of arterial hypertension.

Aims:

To evaluate the burden of these factors among the two sexes.

Methods:

A sample of 198 hypertensive patients (89 men – 108 women, mean age 52,9 years, SD = 11,81 ranged 26–78) participated to the present study. The questionnaires included: a) questionnaire recording social-demographic characteristics and clinical features, b)The Short Form 36 (SF-36) General Health Survey questionnaire, c) the Beck Depression Inventory –II, d) Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and e) The Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire (CAQ-greek version). SPSS for Windows 14.0 and STATA 10 were used for statistical analysis.

Results:

Age was not differ significantly among the two sexes (t = −1.638, p =.028). Models of stepwise approach logistic regression, examining the associations between gender and psychological issues, were performed. Model 1 was adjusted for age, socio-demographic variables and clinical parametres. Quality of life, depression, personality traits, and cardiac anxiety scores were introduced in step model 2. In model 3, after controlling for age, socio-demographic variables and clinical features female hypertensive participants had a higher risk of somatization (OR=1.46, 95% CI=1.02–1.29), paranoid ideation (OR=1.23, 95% CI=1.04 –1.46) and psychotisism (OR=1.37, 95% CI=1.14–2.45).

Conclusions:

Findings support the hypothesis that hypertensive women shows a serious psychological dysfunctional behaviour, which can be attributed to their gender. Since this relation was not explained by relevant confounders there is a need for create preventive methods or treatment programmes in order to minimaze these effects