THE ESSENTIAL
- Nearly one in three adults has high blood pressure, according to Inserm.
- Blood pressure is the measurement of the pressure or force exerted by the blood against the arteries.
High blood pressure results in an abnormal increase in blood pressure on the walls of the arteries. It can be the cause of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular or neurodegenerative complications when it is not controlled.
Excessive tension could promote neurotic disorders
In a study published in the journal General Psychiatry, researchers have observed that high blood pressure could impact a person’s personality, in particular by accentuating neurosis. This state can be characterized by irrepressible psychological and physical manifestations such as phobias, compulsions, emotional crises or even anxieties.
To reach this conclusion, the scientists used Mendelian randomization, a technique that involves measuring genetic variants of a risk factor. For this study, it was blood pressure. The goal was to determine genetic evidence that might explain its relationship to neurosis.
About 1,000 genetic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are linked to neurosis. These elements help predict a patient’s potential reaction to medications, environmental factors, or the risk of developing diseases.
During the study, the researchers took DNA from blood samples of volunteers who participated in eight major research projects. The team then applied Mendelian randomization to four blood pressure characteristics:
- systolic blood pressure;
- diastolic blood pressure;
- pulse pressure;
- high blood pressure.
They then compared Mendelian randomization to four cognitive symptoms like anxiety, neurosis, depression, and a person’s well-being.
The link between diastolic blood pressure and neurosis
According to the results, the diastolic blood pressure, in other words the value of the pressure in the artery, when the heart is at rest between two contractions, showed a strong association with neurosis. To explain it, the researchers indicated that blood pressure is linked to the brain and the heart. A change in blood pressure could therefore lead to the development of certain personality traits, including neurosis.
“Neurosis is considered a key factor in anxiety and mood disorders. Neurotic people are more often subject to high mental stress, which can lead to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease”, the study authors pointed out. However, this research had some limitations, as scientists were unable to rule out pleiotropy, that is, the fact that one gene can affect multiple personality traits.