A study of factors affecting cardiovascular reactivity

This pilot study investigates the cardiovascular reactivity of a person to stresses introduced in the subject´s environment. The responses to these stresses were correlated to specific factors and variables. Variables such as personality, environment, familial history of diseases, and previous stress/non-stress events were used. The results of this study will hopefully aid in the more accurate recording and interpretation of cardiovascular data by realizing the different factors, if any exist, that affect cardiovascular readings. Even if levels of cardiovascular reactivity do not directly influence heart rate variability, cardiovascular reactivity may need to be accounted for in heart rate variability studies that measure any of the above variables. Results showed that depression, order of the activities, session, and the interaction of depression and order or session affected the vagal tone readings for the normal breathing activity. Readings for both numeric activities were affected by only the subject´s depression state. Other factors did not provide insight to the differences in vagal tone readings between subjects