The effects of high ambient stressors (equipment sounds) and social stressors (conversation) on heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were examined in coronary care patients. Simultaneously occurring sound level in decibels, actual sound, electrocardiogram, and BP were recorded three times/day over 2 days for 20 subjects. Repeated measures ANOVA and pairwise comparisons revealed maximum HR to be significantly higher during conversation than during low ambient sounds (quiet). High ambient stressors did not affect HR for these subjects. BP did not significantly change during any of the sound conditions. Further research is needed to delineate cardiovascular effects of specific social stressors.