Neurotic people may be suffering from high blood pressure

Being neurotic may be a stress-inducing symptom of high blood pressure, a new study suggests.

Neuroticism, or the personality trait that yields negative emotions that torpedo into stress, fear, anger, anxiety and depression, can be associated with high diastolic blood pressure, a new study published in the journal General Psychiatry reports. High blood pressure can lead to heart disease and stroke.

Shanghai-based researchers conducted a study to determine whether there is a link between genetic variants associated with high blood pressure and types of personality traits. They drew on eight study datasets examining whole genome DNA extracted from blood samples from people predominantly of European ancestry.

They then analyzed the genetic variants including four types of blood pressure — systolic, diastolic, pulse pressure and high blood pressure — and exposed them to four psychological states — anxiety, depressive symptoms, neuroticism and subjective well-being — via the analytic tool Mendelian randomization, which measures how a risk factor relates to a disease outcome.

Blood pressure is measured in two numbers: systolic, the first number, which measures the pressure in your arteries when the heart beats; and diastolic blood pressure, the second number which measures the pressure in arteries when heart rests between beats.

They found that high diastolic blood pressure was highly associated with traits of neuroticism, however, it did not affect anxiety, depression or subjective well-being solely. The researchers also acknowledged limitations to their findings since the sample was limited to people of European ancestry.

The scientists determined that if one can manage the high blood pressure, they may be able to in turn improve neuroticism, since blood pressure links the brain and heart. Monitoring blood pressure for those who suffer with it could potentially alleviate dire mental health issues associated with neuroticism, like high stress, the study suggets.

“Individuals with neuroticism can be sensitive to the criticism of others, are often self-critical, and easily develop anxiety, anger, worry, hostility, self-consciousness and depression,” the researchers wrote in the study.

“Appropriate surveillance and control of blood pressure can be beneficial for the reduction of neuroticism, neuroticism-inducing mood disorders and cardiovascular diseases.”

While the findings are limited, they could potentially help a wide sample of Americans suffering, considering nearly half of adults in the US have hypertension, or high blood pressure at or above 130/80 mmHG and just one in four adults have it under control, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.