TY - JOUR JF - BLOOD PRESSURE VL - 29 TI - The effect of an exam period as a stress situation on baroreflex sensitivity among healthy university students SN - 0803-7051 EP - 181 Y1 - 2020/// UR - http://doi.org/10.1080/08037051.2019.1710108 A1 - Fejes Imola A1 - Ábrahám György A1 - Légrády Péter N2 - Purpose: Authors investigated the effect of a university exam period on blood pressure (BP) and baroreflex-sensitivity (BRS) among healthy students.Materials and methods: Fifty-three healthy normotensive university students participated in the test. BP values and BRS were recorded once during a 14-week long semester and once during a 6-week long exam period with a Finometer device. The time-domain spontaneous BRS in lying position and after standing up was calculated with Nevrokard software. Students were divided into optimal, normal, high-normal and hypertension (HT) groups by BP values.Results: All the BRS values calculated in the exam period were significantly lower compared to the semester period in the same positions. In supine position: (semester vs. exam) up-BRS was 21.9 ą 13.2 ms/mmHg vs. 18.5 ą 11.9 ms/mmHg (p = .013), down-BRS was 22.3 ą 9.3 ms/mmHg vs. 18.4 ą 8.2 ms/mmHg (p = .019). After standing up: (semester vs. exam) up-BRS was 9.3 ą 3.3 ms/mmHg vs. 7.6 ą 3.1 ms/mmHg (p = .02), down-BRS was 9.5 ą 3.6 ms/mmHg vs. 7.0 ą 2.8 ms/mmHg (p < .0001). The number of students decreased in optimal BP group and increased in normal and HT groups in the exam period.Conclusions: A 6-week long exam period had enough stress effect to change cardiovascular parameters towards a higher risk even in healthy young people. AV - public ID - publicatio17986 SP - 175 IS - 3 ER -