Within the 8ehavioral Medicine framework, the present study had for objective to verify the effectiveness of a stress management training in the reduction of cardiovascular reactivity of hypertensive subjects. The blood pressure of20 borderline hypertensive individuais was measured during experimental sessions that involved the need to be assertive, before and after the behavioral treatment of stress. Results indicated that the majority ofthe participants were highly unassertive, that social stress is capable of eliciting excessive cardiovascular reactivity in hypertensive individuais and that this reactivity can be reduced by means of stress management treatment.
social stress; cardiovascular reactivity; assertiveness; stress control; alexithymia; behavioral medicine