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Muscle sympathetic nerve activity is positively related to aortic wave reflection characteristics in postmenopausal women
Author(s) -
Hart Emma,
Charkoudian Nisha,
Joyner Michael J,
Curry Timothy B,
Casey Darren P
Publication year - 2011
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.25.1_supplement.842.1
Aortic wave reflection characteristics such as augmentation index are positively related to muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) in young men. In young women, there is an inverse relationship. We investigated whether this inverse relationship persisted in postmenopausal (PM) women. MSNA (peroneal microneurography) and arterial pressure (brachial line) were measured in 8 PM (age; mean ± SEM, 58 ± 2 yrs) and 20 young women (25 ± 1 yrs). Aortic wave form characteristics were synthesised from radial arterial pressure waves (applanation tonometry). Specifically, augmentation index (AI, %), wave reflection amplitude (AG, mmHg) and estimated wasted left ventricular energy (E W, dines/cm 2 /s) were calculated. Tonic MSNA was higher in PM vs. young women (64 ± 5 vs. 24 ± 4 bursts/100 heart beats). All indices of aortic wave reflection were higher in the PM vs. young women ( P <0.05). Baseline MSNA was inversely related to AI (r = −0.63, P <0.05), AG (r = −0.62, P <0.05) and E w (r = −0.61, P <0.05) in young women. Interestingly, baseline MSNA was positively related to AI (r = 0.64; P =0.09), AG (r = 0.71, P <0.05) and E w (r = 0.80, P <0.05) in PM women. Thus high levels of MSNA are associated with higher indexes of arterial stiffness in PM women. This may provide insights into why there is an increase in cardiovascular events in PM women. NIH HL‐083947 (MJJ, NC); AR‐55819 (DPC), AHA 2170087 (ECH), and CTSA RR‐024150.