More frequent partner hugs and higher oxytocin levels are linked to lower blood pressure and heart rate in premenopausal women |
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Authors: | Light Kathleen C Grewen Karen M Amico Janet A |
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Affiliation: | Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, CB 7175 Medical Building A, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7175, USA. kalight@med.unc.edu |
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Abstract: | In animals, ventral stroking for >5 days increases oxytocin (OT) activity and decreases blood pressure (BP), but related human studies are few. Thus, relationships between self-reported frequency of partner hugs, plasma OT and BP levels were examined in 59 premenopausal women before and after warm contact with their husbands/partners ending with hugs. Higher baseline OT before partner contact was associated with lower BP and heart rate, and met criteria to be a partial mediator of the lower resting BP shown by women reporting more frequent hugs (P<0.05). OT levels during post-contact stress were unrelated to hugs or BP. Menstrual cycle phase did not influence any OT measure. Thus, frequent hugs between spouses/partners are associated with lower BP and higher OT levels in premenopausal women; OT-mediated reduction in central adrenergic activity and peripheral effects of OT on the heart and vasculature are pathways to examine in future research. |
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