Psychological Aspects of Hypertension: II. The Differential Influence of Interview Variables on Blood Pressure
F. PATRICK MCKEGNEY M.D.1, and
REDFORD B. WILLIAMS JR. 2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Conn. 06510
2 Fourth-year medical student, Department of Psychiatry and Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Conn. 06510
The blood pressure responses of normotensive and hypertensive subjects to a three-phase experimental interview situation were recorded. The greatest elevations occurred in both groups during a personal discussion phase, and the elevation was more pronounced among the hypertensive subjects. These results, although based upon a small sample, raise questions about the reliability of clinical blood pressure determinations conducted during or following a medical interview.
