INTERNATIONAL JOURNALOF BEHAVIORALMEDICINE, 2(4), 339--357 Copyright 9 1995, LawrenceErlbaumAssociates,Inc. Parental History of Hypertension and Cardiovascular Response to Stress in Black and White Men Sydney B. Miller, J. Rick Turner, Andrew Sherwood, Kimberly A. Brownley, Alan L. Hinderliter, and Kathleen C. Light White offspring of hypertensives typically exhibit an elevated cardiovascular re- sponse to stress. Studies of Black offspring of hypertensives have been fewer, with inconsistent results. This may be due, in part, to incomplete characterizations of hemodynamic responses. This study examines cardiovascular reactivity in Black and White offspring of hypertensives with a particular focus on vascular resistance responses. A total of 62 healthy normotensive men, 41 with a parental history of hypertension (PH+: 21 Blacks, 20 Whites), and 21 without parental hypertension (PH-- 7 Blacks, 14 Whites) engaged in a series of laboratory tasks. Both Black and White PH+ participants exhibited elevated diastolic blood pressure (DBP) responses, but to different patterns of stressor tasks. Familial differences in total peripheral resistance response were also obtained for Black and White participants in a com- parison across all tasks, but were particularly evident in tasks when PH+ participants Sydney B. Miller, Departmentof Psychology,ConeordiaUniversity,Montreal, Canada;J. Rick Turner, Departmentof Pediatrics, C, eor#ra Prevention Institute. MedlcMCollegeof Georgia.Augusta, GA. USA; Andrew Sherwood, Departmentof Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center. Durham. NC. USA; Kimbedy Brownley and KathleenC. Light, Departmentof Psychiatry.University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA, Alan L, Hindefliter,Departmentof Medicine, University of North Carolina. Chapel Hill. NC, USA. This research was supportedin part by NationalInstitutes of HealthGrantsHL31533and RR00046. We thank Duds Murrell, Antonia Vincent, Nancy Pettee, and Deborah Jansen for their technical assistance. Corre~pondenceconcemlng this article should be addres,~:!to Sydney B. Miller, Department of Psychology, Coneordia University, 7i4| Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H4B-1R6. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE, 2(4), 339-357 Copyright © 1995. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, .Inc. Parental History of Hypertension and Cardiovascular Response to Stress in Black and White Men Sydney B. Miller, 1. Rick Turner, Andrew Sherwood, Kimberly A. Brownley, Alan 1. Hinderliter. and Kathleen C. Light White offspring of hYPertensives typically exhibit an elevated cardiovascular re- sponse to stress. Studies of Black offspring of hypertensives have been fewer. with inconsistent results. This may be due, in part, to incomplete characterizations of hemodynamic responses. This study examines cardiovascular reactivity in Black and White offspring of hypertensives with a particular focus on vascular resistance responses. A total of 62 healthy nonnotensive men, 41 with a parental history of hypertension (PH+: 21 Blacks, 20 Whites), and 21 without parental hypertension (PH-: 7 Blacks. 14 Whites) engaged in a series of laboratory tasks. Both Black and White PH+ participants exhibited elevated diastolic blood pressure (DBP) responses, but to different patterns of stressor tasks. Familial differences in total peripheral resistance response were also obtained for Black and White participants in a com- parison across all tasks, but were particularly evident in tasks when PH+ participants Sydney B. Miller. Department of Psychology, Corn:ordia Univerllity, Montreal, Canada; J. Rick. Tumer, Department of Pediatrics. Georgia PreventiOll Institute. Medical College of Georgia, Augusta,. GA. USA; Andrew Sherwood, Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center. Durham. NC. USA; Kimberly Brown.ley and Kathleen C. Light, Department of Psychiatry. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Alan L, Hinderliter, Department of Medicine. University of North Carolina,. Chapel Hill. NC, USA. This research was supported in part by National Institutes of Health Grants HLJI533 and RR00046. We thank Doris MurreU, Antonia Vincent. Nancy Pettee. and Deborah Jansen for their lechnical assistance. concerning this article should be addressed to Sydney B. Miller, Department of Psycho.logy, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec. Canada. H4B-IR6.