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Cerebral and systemic hemodynamic responses are less efficient in the elderly
Author(s) -
Shi Xiangrong,
Schaller Frederic,
Tierney Nancy,
Chanthavong Patrick,
Guo Hong
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.20.5.a1423-c
The aim of this study was to assess the influence of age in maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis during hypotensive challenge. Eight healthy elderly (age and body mass index: 69±2 yr and 25.6±1.3) and 8 young (26±2 yr and 23.1±1.2) men were compared in the responses of heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP, Tonometry), and middle cerebral arterial blood flow velocity (V, transcranial Doppler sonography) after the thigh cuff deflation following 3‐min supra‐systolic bilateral inflation. Baseline HR (elderly vs young: 59±4 vs 67±3 bpm), MAP (89±6 vs 79±3 mmHg), and V (60.6±4.6 vs 65.8±4.0 cm/s) were similar between the groups. Though the magnitude of the hypotensive response (ΔMAP) after the cuff deflation was not different between the elderly (−15.6±1.6 mmHg or −19±3%) and the young (−16.3±1.4 mmHg or −21±2%), the hypotensive rate (ΔMAP/T 1 ) was (P < 0.002) slower in the elderly than the young (see Table). Furthermore, the recovery rate of MAP and V from the cuff deflation elicited hypotension, i.e., ΔMAP/T 2 and V/T 2 , were significantly prolonged in the elderly compared with the young. The ΔMAP/T 2 was inversely correlated with the tachycardiac rate (r = −0.73, P<0.002) or the magnitude of ΔHR (r = −0.60, P<0.014). We concluded that MAP and V recovery during hypotensive challenge were less efficient in the elderly, probably resulting from an age‐related diminution of autonomic function.(Supported in part by NIH grant HL65613)