Stress and Heart Health Study

STUDY BASICS

Are you curious about your blood pressure and how susceptible you might be to the effects of stress? Are you 45 years old or older? You might be able to participate in a research study to measure how reactive people are during stress. Compensation is provided.

STUDY PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to develop a short battery of tasks that can be used to measure how reactive people are during stress. We will examine heart rate and blood pressure responses to a series of psychological challenges, and we will compare these responses to those obtained in other samples. We hope to use this battery of tasks to help us select people who are most reactive to stress in a larger research program. 

COULD THIS STUDY BE RIGHT FOR YOU?

Eligible participants:

• Are fluent in English
• Are ages 45 and older 
• Have not been diagnosed with / do not have a history of cardiovascular disease (heart attack, heart disease, heart failure, angina, stroke, atrial fibrillation)
• Are not pregnant 
• Have never been diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar/manic depression

WHAT PARTICIPANTS CAN EXPECT

During this study, we will ask you about your stress and health, measure your resting blood pressure, and measure your blood pressure while you are involved in two challenging tasks (involving rapid decisions and public speaking).