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Effect of age and gender on sudomotor and cardiovagal function and blood pressure response to tilt in normal subjects
Author(s) -
Low Phillip A.,
Denq JongChyou,
OpferGehrking Tonette L.,
Dyck Peter J.,
O'Brien Peter C.,
Slezak Jeff M.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4598(199712)20:12<1561::aid-mus11>3.0.co;2-3
Subject(s) - sudomotor , medicine , valsalva maneuver , orthostatic vital signs , blood pressure , hypoactivity , heart rate , forearm , tilt table test , diaphragmatic breathing , cardiology , reflex , axon reflex , surgery , alternative medicine , pathology
Normative data are limited on autonomic function tests, especially beyond age 60 years. We therefore evaluated these tests in a total of 557 normal subjects evenly distributed by age and gender from 10 to 83 years. Heart rate (HR) response to deep breathing fell with increasing age. Valsalva ratio varied with both age and gender. QSART (quantitative sudomotor axon‐reflex test) volume was consistently greater in men (approximately double) and progressively declined with age for all three lower extremity sites but not the forearm site. Orthostatic blood pressure reduction was greater with increasing age. HR at rest was significantly higher in women, and the increment with head‐up tilt fell with increasing age. For no tests did we find a regression to zero, and some tests seem to level off with increasing age, indicating that diagnosis of autonomic failure was possible to over 80 years of age. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 20: 1561–1568, 1997