Abstract

The present study examined patterns of cardiovascular reactivity in Black individuals (generally considered to be vascular responders) to various types of laboratory stressor tasks, under different levels of dietary sodium. The results suggest that among Blacks, there is variation in patterns of cardiovascular reactivity, depending on stressor task characteristics. Blacks were most vascularly reactive to the Cold Pressor task, and least vascularly reactive to the Discrimination Recall task. The results offer no support for the hypothesis that Black individuals would be more vascularly reactive under the condition of a high sodium diet compared to their regular diet. Evidence that participants were most angry on the Discrimination Recall task, and further evidence of a negative correlation with anger and TPR, and a positive correlation with anger and CO and HR, in responses to the Discrimination recall task, suggest a differential relation between the mood state, anger, and various components of cardiovascular reactivity in Black individuals. No strong conclusions can be made from the results obtained in the present study, given the possibility of confounding influences of uncontrolled factors such as family history, salt-sensitivity, and gender, as well as the limited sample size and the associated limited power of analyses. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)