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Assessing the impact of pubertal maturity and sex on cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity in children and adolescents (852.3)
Author(s) -
Chirico Daniele,
Klentrou Panagiota,
Liu Jian,
O'Leary Deborah
Publication year - 2014
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.28.1_supplement.852.3
Subject(s) - supine position , medicine , baroreflex , body mass index , endocrinology , blood pressure , prepuberty , hormone , physiology , heart rate
Puberty is associated with important hormonal and metabolic changes associated with growth and maturation. The impact of puberty on blood pressure (BP) regulation is relatively unexplored. The purpose of this study was to assess whether pubertal maturity has an effect on cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in children and adolescents. The study was cross‐sectional and included 77 participants (44 boys and 33 girls) aged 8‐18 years old. Participants were organized into four pubertal groups based on Tanner criteria; pre‐pubertal (Tanner stage 1, n=16), early pubertal (Tanner stage 2, n=11), peri‐pubertal (Tanner 3 & 4, n=34), and post‐pubertal (Tanner 5 & 6, n=16). Body composition (lean mass and percent body fat), body mass index (BMI) and demographic variables were collected. Beat‐by‐beat BP and R‐R interval (RRI) were collected in supine rest. BRS was assessed by transfer function analysis in the low frequency (LF) range (0.05 – 0.15Hz). The results of the study demonstrated a group by sex interaction (p=0.012) with BRS increasing in girls (21.2 7.6 to 26.8 8.0 ms/mmHg) and decreasing in boys (21.6 7.2 to 12.7 7.4 ms/mmHg) from pre‐ to post‐puberty. These findings were independent of body composition changes associated with puberty. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that pubertal maturity affects BRS differentially in boys than girls and may be due to hormonal changes that occur with puberty.