Cross-spouse correlates of blood pressure in hypertension-prone families in Utah.

Overview

This study used a subsample of 543 married couples from a large group of families in Utah, who were originally studied to assess the genetic and environmental determinants of hypertension. Excluding individuals on medication and controlling for the major risk factors for hypertension, evidence was obtained for cross-spouse blood pressure associations equal in magnitude to self-psychosocial and demographic measures. Observed spouse-spouse similarity for blood pressures remained significant after adjustment for shared psychological factors. It is speculated that different aspects of each spouse's nonmarital environments (e.g. work, social support) have differential impacts on the marital environment and on physiologic indicators of health.