EVALUATION OF EXAM STRESS ON BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART BEATS AMONG STUDENTS OF KABUL UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES IN THE SUBJECTS OF ANATOMY AND HISTOLOGY

Abstract

Abstract: Blood pressure is the pressure that the blood produces on the blood vessels wall while passing through the vessels, which have two components, systolic blood pressure which is mainly related to the cardiac output and diastolic blood pressure which is mainly related to the resistance of the peripheral vessels wall. High blood pressure is one of the main causes of cardiovascular diseases and strokes so should be very careful when checking the blood pressure. Objective: To evaluate the effect of exam stress on blood pressure and heart rate among second grade medical students. Method: This is a cross-sectional study design, which data were obtained from 37 students second grad students of Kabul University of Medical Sciences mean age was (20±1.2) who were randomly selected, 24 were male and 13 were female. At the beginning, the blood pressure and heart rate of the students were examined before the Anatomy and Histology subjects’ exam. Subsequently, the blood pressure and the heart rate of students were also checked with the same blood pressure device and the same examiner after the exam. The right arm of the student was selected for assessing of blood pressure. Results: The results of this study shows in Histology subject, (mean ± SD) of systolic and diastolic blood pressure before the exam was (123.5±1.9) and (78.1±1.3), and students' heart rate was found (76.4±1.05) per minute. And systolic and diastolic blood pressure after the exam in the mentioned subject is (114.3±1.7) and (72.1±1.3mmHg), and the heart rate after the exam of the mentioned subject is (75.6±0.9) per minute. Paired T test was used to evaluate the difference between means before and after exam in histology exam which indicate the difference of means of blood pressure before and after exam is statistically significant with (p- value<0.05 CI 95%) and means of heart rate before and after exam indicate that there is no significant changes in heart rate before and after exam with (p- value>0.05 CI 95%). In Anatomy subject, (mean± SD) of systolic and diastolic blood pressure before the exam was (123.2±1.6) and (77±1.3), and students' heart rate was found (76.8±1) per minute. And systolic and diastolic blood pressure after the exam in the mentioned subject is (113.5±1.5) and (71.8±1.3mmHg), and the heart rate after the exam of the mentioned subject is (75.9±0.9) per minute. Paired T test was used to evaluate the difference between means before and after exam in histology exam which indicate the difference of means of blood pressure before and after exam is statistically significant with (p- value<0.05 CI 95%) and means of heart rate before and after exam indicate that there is no significant changes in heart rate before and after exam with (p- value>0.05 CI 95%). Conclusion: Overall, the body of research confirms that exam stress significantly affects cardiovascular parameters, emphasizing the need for strategies to mitigate these effects. Keywords: Exam, Stress, Blood pressure, Medical students.