Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: April | Volume: 6 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 193-206
Influence of Stress on Cardiorespiratory Profile in an Urban Female Population of Reproductive Age Group
Dr. Arunima Chaudhuri
Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital (Affiliated to West Bengal University of Health Sciences), Rampurhat, West Bengal, India.
ABSTRACT
Background: The postmodern over-industrialized and highly competitive metropolitan culture has added up to stresses in human lives at many levels.
Aims: To study the influence of stress on cardiovascular risk factors in an urban female population of reproductive age group.
Materials and methods: The present longitudinal interventional double blinded randomized control trial was conducted on females of reproductive age group in a time span of 5years after taking institutional ethical clearance and informed consent of the subjects. Parameters recorded were Waist/ hip ratio, Body mass index (BMI), Pulse rate, Blood pressure (BP), Electrocardiogram (ECG), fasting blood sugar (FBS), Lipid profile, Pulmonary Function test (PFT), Perceived Stress levels, Presumptive Stressful Life Event Scale (PSLES) score. The subjects were grouped into two: Subjects with PSLES SCORES above 200(G1) and Subjects with PSLES Scores less than 200 but more than 40 (G2)with 1006 subjects in each group. All subjects were given a training of progressive muscle relaxation. Training involved tensing the specific muscle groups of body for 7-10 sec., followed by releasing them for 15-20sec.The subjects were asked to practice this technique at home for 20 minutes every day for 3 months and come for follow up at regular intervals. All parameters were reevaluated. T test was used to analyze the data.
Results: Subjects with higher stress scores were found to have more BMI, W/H ratio, dyslipidemia and altered autonomic functions and practice of PMR for 3 months caused significant improvement in nearly all health parameters assessed.
Conclusions: Perceived stress may adversely affect cardiovascular respiratory profile and anthropometric parameters of healthy adult females of reproductive age group and regular practice of PMR may decrease perceived stress levels and help in modulating cardiorespiratory profile with decreasing future complications like diabetes, dyslipidemia, coronary artery disease, metabolic syndrome.
Key words: Stress, Progressive muscle relaxation, Women of reproductive age group.
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