How daily worries and others' stress affect blood pressure
Official title: A daily diary examination of the influence of anticipated and vicarious stressors on blood pressure
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11400273 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will measure whether everyday worries and hearing about stressful events that happen to others raise home blood pressure in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $790,087 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL168489-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11400273 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 and older who can use a home blood-pressure monitor and complete brief daily diaries, including people with elevated blood pressure, are the intended participants.
✕Less likely to help
People under 21, those unwilling or unable to perform home blood-pressure monitoring or daily diaries, or those who cannot be followed for the one-week protocol may not receive direct benefit from participation.
What this research studies
You would take home blood-pressure readings and complete short daily diaries for one week about things you are worried about and stressful events you hear about or witness. The team will also collect brief mood, behavior, and physiological information each day to see how feelings and actions link with blood pressure in real life. The study focuses on two kinds of stress: anticipated stress (worrying that something stressful will happen) and vicarious stress (learning about stressors that happen to other people). The repeated daily measures help capture how everyday experiences relate to short-term changes in home blood pressure.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help people and clinicians recognize stress patterns that raise blood pressure and design better ways to prevent blood-pressure spikes.
How similar studies have gone: Small pilot data have shown links between anticipated stress and higher home systolic blood pressure, but using a focused daily-diary approach to study anticipated and vicarious stress is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Caceres, Billy a — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Caceres, Billy a
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.