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Elderly women demonstrate an attenuated vasoconstrictive response during a cold pressor stimulus
Author(s) -
Jarvis Sara,
VanGundy Tiffany,
Galbreath Melyn,
Shibata Shigeki,
Meier Rhonda,
Vongpatanasin Wanpen,
Levine Benjamin,
Fu Qi
Publication year - 2010
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.24.1_supplement.594.2
Subject(s) - cold pressor test , vasoconstriction , medicine , blood pressure , heart rate , stimulus (psychology) , endocrinology , diastole , adrenergic , hemodynamics , psychology , receptor , psychotherapist
Animal studies have shown that adrenergic vasoconstriction is reduced in older females but not males. The purpose of this study was to compare sympathetic and vasoconstrictor responses to a cold pressor stimulus between elderly women and men to determine whether sex differences in adrenergic vasoconstriction exist in aged humans. Heart rate (HR), arm blood pressure (systolic, SBP; diastolic, DBP) and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) were measured in 9 women and 10 men [age: 69±7 (SD) vs. 69±4 yrs, respectively] during baseline (BL), a 2‐min cold pressor test (CPT), and 3‐min of recovery. HR during CPT (71±8 vs. 68±11 beats/min, P =NS) and changes in HR from BL (ΔHR: 4±5 vs. 4±6 beats/min, P =NS) were the same between the sexes. MSNA responses to CPT (BL: 543±289 vs. 491±145 a.u./min; CPT: 1039±567 vs. 965±161 a.u./min, both P =NS) were similar between elderly women and men; however, women did not demonstrate as large of an increase in DBP compared to men (CPT: 84±25 vs. 98±14 mmHg, P =0.02; ΔDBP: 8±10 vs. 22±12 mmHg, P =0.04). SBP was similar between the groups (BL: 129±42 vs. 129±11 mmHg; CPT: 150±46 vs. 156±19 mmHg; both P =NS). These findings suggest that elderly women demonstrate an attenuated vasoconstrictive response to a CPT when compared to elderly men. It is likely that the attenuated vasoconstrictive response in women is due to a decrease in vascular smooth muscle sensitivity to α1‐adrenergic stimulation.