Psychosocial stress, high blood pressure and cardiovascular risk

Psychosocial stress can be the result of a wide variety of causes and circumstances. The experience of stress is often unique and experienced in a very personal way, although with common physiological responses. Predictably, it will increase in the modern world, which is subject to vertiginous social, cultural and technological changes. This review aims to determine the psychosocial factors that affect arterial hypertension (HT) and cardiovascular risk (CVR). Psychosocial stress more than doubles the risk of HT, the most related factors being post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and work stress. The factors that were most related to an increase in CVR were informal care, lower socioeconomic status, severe mental disorders, marital status, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Individual and collective psychosocial stress prevention strategies can be decisive in decreasing the prevalence of HT and CVR. (c) 2020 SEH-LELHA. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.