Social Conflicts May Raise Hypertension Risk

Amy Taylor June 06, 2014

You probably know that social conflicts are bad for your mental health. But did you know they can be bad for your physical health too? According to a new study, unpleasant social interactions are associated with increased blood pressure levels.

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University examined the data of 1,502 people ages 50 and older who were part of the Health and Retirement Study. Participants answered questionnaires in 2006 detailing the frequency with which they had negative interactions with friends, partners and family, including criticism, unpleasantness or disappointment. Their blood pressure levels during those times were also recorded. Four years later, researchers again measured the participants’ blood pressure levels.

Over the five-year period, 29 per cent of the participants developed hypertension. Researcher found a link between negative social interactions and increased risk of developing hypertension. Specifically, for every one-point increase on a scale measuring total average negative social interactions, the risk of developing hypertension increased 38 per cent. Furthermore, the effects seemed to be stronger among people ages 51 to 64, compared with people ages 65 and older.

Researchers found an association between hypertension risk and negative social interactions with friends and family. However, partner relationships weren’t as predictive of hypertension risk, and "children didn’t seem to matter at all in terms of being predictive," noted study researcher Rodlescia Sneed.

There seems to be sex differences as well. Negative social interactions were associated with hypertension for women in the study, but not for men. The reason for this is, according to Sneed, that women tend to put greater weight and expectations on relationships, in general, than men.

Past research has indicated, for instance, that "breaking a trust is a lot more important to a woman than it is to a man, on average," Sneed said.

It is also important to note that the study only shows an association between social conflicts and hypertension, not causal relationship.

The new findings were published in the journal Health Psychology.

Source of this article:

How Conflict And Disappointment Might Be Hurting Your Health