Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Turkiye Klinikleri Cardiovascular Sciences, cilt.22, sa.3, ss.311-317, 2010 (Scopus)
Objective: Stress is a factor which plays role in the development and exacerbation of the cardiovascular diseases. However it's not clear by which mechanisms acute and/or chronic stress participate in the development of these diseases. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of acute stress on plasma viscosity, which is a determinant of blood viscosity, and the roles of gender and menstrual cycles on this effect. Material and Methods: Fifteen non smoking, healthy subjects of 7 males and 8 females participated in the study. To induce acute stress Stroop and cold pressor tests were used. The experiments were performed twice in females during follicular and luteal phases. Menstrual cycle phases were confirmed by measured estrogen and progesterone levels. Blood samples withdrawn before and after acute stress were measured for plasma viscosity, hematocrit and serum cortisol. The heart rates and blood pressures of the participants were followed throughout the experiments. Results: Stress system activation was established by increases in heart rate and blood pressure values throughout the test and increased post-test plasma cortisol levels. The pre-test plasma viscosity of the groups was not different. Post-test plasma viscosity was higher in males and females in follicular phase compared to pre-test values; however the difference was not statistically significant. Although a decrease in plasma viscosity as an acute stress response in women in luteal phase was observed, this decrease was not statistically significant. Conclusion: As a result of this study, it is thought that there is a relationship between acute stress and plasma viscosity. It is possible that gender and menstrual cycle phases have a role in this relationship. It will be reasonable to re-evaluate this matter, which can shed a light on the relationship between stress and cardiovascular diseases, with an extensive study having higher subject numbers. Copyright © 2010 by Türkiye Klinikleri.