No impact of sex and age on beta‐adrenoceptor‐mediated inotropy in human right atrial trabeculae

AIM: There is an increasing awareness of the impact of age and sex on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Differences in physiology are suspected. Beta-adrenoceptors (beta-ARs) are an important drug target in CVD and potential differences might have significant impact on the treatment of many patients. To investigate whether age and sex affects beta-AR function, we analysed a large data set on beta-AR-induced inotropy in human atrial trabeculae. METHODS: ) was taken as a measure of beta-AR sensitivity. RESULTS: Impact of clinical variables was modelled using multivariable mixed model regression. As previously reported, chronic treatment with beta-blockers sensitized beta-AR. However, there was no significant interaction between basal force, maximum force and beta-AR sensitivity when age and sex were modelled continuously. In addition, there was no statistically significant effect of body mass index or diabetes on atrial contractility. CONCLUSION: Our large, multivariable analysis shows that neither age nor sex affects beta-AR-mediated inotropy or catecholamine sensitivity in human atrial trabeculae. These findings may have important clinical implications because beta-ARs, as a common drug target in CVD and heart failure, do not behave differently in women and men across age decades.