Parenting lowers blood pressure--study

Co-author of the study, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a Brigham Young University (BYU) psychologist who studies relationships and health, states, "While caring for children may include daily hassles, deriving a sense of meaning and purpose from life's stress has been shown to be associated with better health outcomes.”

Blood pressure measured through portable monitors
The researchers tracked the progress of 198 adults aged 20 to 68 years who wore portable monitors that recorded their blood pressure readings for 24 hours a day. All the participants were married with general good health and 70 percent were parents.

The portable monitors recorded their blood pressure randomly through the day even while the subjects slept. This system was effective in providing accurate day-to-day blood pressure readings of the participants, as readings monitored in clinical settings can sometimes be inflated due to jitters of the surroundings.

To examine the effects of parenthood, the researchers then took into account factors known to influence blood pressure like age, body mass, gender, exercise, employment and smoking.

Observations by researchers
The investigators noted that that in parents the 24-hour blood pressure readings averaged 116/71. In addition, parents scored 4.5 points lower in systolic blood pressure (the top number) and 3 points lower in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number), as opposed to non parents.

However, the researchers found no differences between parents with small kids, or those with teens and with children over 18 years old.

"I thought maybe there would be different stages that are more stressful for parents — primarily people with babies or teens — but the effect is consistent across various stages of parenting," Holt-Lunstad said.

The effect was dramatic in women. Those with kids exhibited a 12-point difference in systolic pressure and a 7-point difference in diastolic pressure, compared with the women with no children.

"Women were driving the effect. Women with children had the lowest blood pressure, and women without had the highest," stated Julianne Holt-Lunstad.

According to Thomas Kamarck, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, the blood pressure readings indicate "something about the people who choose to be parents, rather than the day-to-day experience of being a parent."

Details of the research are published in the journal, Annals of Behavioral Medicine.