Hemodynamic responses underlying blood pressure reactivity to laboratory stress are theoretically linked to cardiovascular pathophysiology. The present study investigated whether a vascular response predicted ambulatory pulse pressure, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A new model of hemodynamic profile, previously developed by the authors, was applied to 24-h ambulatory data from 30 female and 34 male healthy young adults. Of these, 40 were monitored during a naturalistic stressor (university examination). For females, hemodynamic profile significantly predicted nighttime systolic blood pressure, and 24-h, day-, and nighttime diastolic blood pressure, but not ambulatory pulse pressure. A vascular or mixed hemodynamic profile significantly predicted 24-h and daytime ambulatory pulse pressure in males. The findings are consistent with theories of pathogenic mechanisms involving vascular changes and suggest that, for males, a vascular or mixed hemodynamic profile measured during laboratory stress may be a risk marker for cardiovascular disease, by its association with ambulatory pulse pressure.
