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Divergent relationship between arterial baroreflex sensitivity and mental stress‐induced blood pressure reactivity in women and men of Oman Family Study
Author(s) -
Albarwani Sulayma,
Millar Philip,
Picton Peter,
Jaju Deepalu,
AlYahyaee Said,
Bayoumi Riyadh,
Floras John,
Hassan Mohamed
Publication year - 2015
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.29.1_supplement.lb578
Subject(s) - blood pressure , baroreflex , medicine , heart rate , cardiology , diastole , hemodynamics
The arterial baroreflex is important for buffering blood pressure (BP) responses to stress. Whether the sensitivity of the arterial baroreflex (BRS) is associated with hemodynamic responses to mental stress is sex dependent is unclear. We tested the relationships between BRS, BP and heart rate (HR) responses to a modified Word Conflict Test (WCT) in a cohort of semi‐rural, healthy Omani Arab women (n=69; 25±7 years; BMI: 23±5 kg/m 2 [mean±SD]; BP: 104±10/65±8mmHg) and men (n=55; 24±7 years; BMI: 23±5 kg/m 2 ; BP: 120±18/76±15mmHg). Resting BRS was similar in women and men (16±10 vs. 16±8 ms/mmHg). In women, the WCT increased (All P<0.01) systolic (Δ10±17mmHg), diastolic (Δ6±13mmHg), mean arterial pressure (Δ8±15mmHg), and HR (Δ8±15bpm). In men, the WCT increased (All P<0.01) systolic (Δ10±18mmHg), diastolic (Δ7±16mmHg), mean arterial pressure (Δ9±17mmHg), and HR (Δ13±15bpm). Resting BRS was +ve associated with changes in systolic (r=0.40, P=0.001), diastolic (r=0.34, P=0.003), mean arterial pressure (r=0.33, P=0.005) and HR (r=0.27, P=0.03) in women but ‐ve correlated with systolic BP (r=‐0.30, P=0.03) and HR (r=‐0.24, P=0.08) in men. These findings demonstrate a sex‐based difference in the role of the arterial baroreflex in buffering BP where mental stress in women showed higher vagal modulations of HR that may play a larger role in determining BP. As exaggerated stress reactivity is predictive of future hypertension, high BRS in women and low BRS in men may be important factors to identify individuals at risk.