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Age but few other commonly measured physiologic traits are associated with cardiovascular reactivity across multiple stressors in healthy young adults
Author(s) -
Allen Alexander R,
Gullixson Leah R,
Liu Zhong,
Eisenach John H
Publication year - 2012
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.26.1_supplement.1091.66
Subject(s) - cold pressor test , medicine , quartile , blood pressure , baroreflex , pulse wave velocity , arterial stiffness , stressor , cardiology , heart rate , endocrinology , confidence interval , clinical psychology
Normotensive individuals who show a robust pressor response to sympathoexcitatory stimuli are at increased risk for developing hypertension. In healthy young adults, we defined a cumulative pressor score (CPS) as the mean increase in systolic arterial pressure across 3 stressors: mental stress, cold pressor test (CPT), and isometric handgrip to fatigue (HG). We hypothesized that individuals with high CPS would possess other physiologic traits associated with cardiovascular reactivity. In 143 subjects (M/F: 57/86, ages 18–40 yr) quartiles were formed with hyper‐responders (CPS ≥ 27.0 mmHg) in the top and hypo‐responders (≤ 16.6 mmHg) in the bottom quartile. Comparisons across quartiles included age, sex, BMI, arterial catecholamines at rest and during stress, HR variability, baroreflex sensitivity by modified Oxford, pulse wave velocity, and 24‐hr ambulatory BP measures. Age was associated with CPS, as hyper‐responders (mean age±SE: 29±1 yr) were approximately 4 yrs older than each quartile (p<0.01). Hypo‐responders had decreased norepinephrine during CPT (p<0.01) and HG (p<0.01), and epinephrine during HG (p<0.01) when compared to each quartile. No other physiologic variable was associated with CPS or quartile. These findings imply that while hyper‐responders may be at greatest cardiovascular risk, it appears to be a consequence of normal aging, as few other intermediate physiologic markers of BP reactivity were associated with pressor scores. Support: HL‐089331, CTSA RR‐024150