The relationship between psychological distress and high blood pressure (HBP) and high blood cholesterol (HBC) is controversial. Psychological distress may interfere with lifestyle modification and health care service use among persons with these conditions. Fan and colleagues examined the association between persons with HBP and/or HBC and psychological distress using a population-based study. Data from the 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were used to assess if U.S. adults aged 35 years or older with self-reported HBP or HBC also had experienced psychological distress or mental health problems that interfered with their work or usual activities during the preceding 30 days. Respondents with self-reported HBP and/or HBC reported more psychological distress and more severe mental health problems that interfered with their work or usual activities than persons without those conditions. Psychological distress was associated with less use of selected health care services and lifestyle modification.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER: The population-based study confirmed the close association between two major cardiovascular risk factors (HBP and HBC) and psychological distress.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS A PATIENT: If you experience distress and/or high blood pressure and high cholesterol, it would be to your advantage to undergo self-management training. Exercises in learning to relax are integral in many of these programs. The relaxation training you receive will not only permit you to avoid psychological distress, but to be relaxed in carrying out whatever self-management steps you may need to perform.

AZ Fan et al. Psychological distress associated with self-reported high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol in U.S. adults, 2007. International Journal of Public Health, April 14, 2009.