Objective: Previous studies have shown that migration and acculturation lead to higher blood pressures and a higher prevalence of cardiovascular diseases. Heightened cardiovascular reactivity is considered as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine cardiovascular reactivity in young and healthy second-generation Turkish migrants to Germany. Method: Forty-one Turkish and 20 German male students worked on a mental arithmetic task for 6 min and underwent the cold pressor test for 90 s. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were taken in intervals of 2 min at baseline and during task periods. Stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), preejection period (PEP), and total peripheral resistance (TPR) were registered continuously by impedance cardiography. The Turkish volunteers were divided into weak and advanced acculturated migrants based on self-ratings given in a questionnaire. Results: Advanced acculturated Turkish students showed greater HR and CO increases and greater PEP and TPR decreases to the mental arithmetic task than Germans or weak acculturated Turkish students. No group differences were found for the cold pressor test. Conclusion: Migrants' acculturation is associated with an enhanced β-adrenergic activation pattern of the sympathetic nervous system that might put them at greater risk with regards to essential hypertension and coronary heart disease. © 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Cardiovascular diseases Stress Hemodynamics Acculturation Emigration and immigration

impedance cardiography adrenergic system Germany immigrant cardiovascular risk task performance essential hypertension Heart Rate blood pressure Cardiovascular Diseases human controlled study Turkey (republic) hypertension Adaptation, Psychological vascular resistance student Humans cardiovascular disease male stress Risk Factors questionnaire cultural factor prevalence Article adult human experiment migration Turkey ischemic heart disease normal human Emigration and Immigration Cultural Characteristics systolic blood pressure diastolic blood pressure heart stroke volume hemodynamics beta adrenergic stimulation mental task heart preejection period Sympathetic Nervous System cardiovascular response heart output cold pressor test arithmetic