Effects of aging on epinephrine secretion and regional release of epinephrine from the human heart.
Why the study?
Does aging alter systemic epinephrine secretion and regional release of epinephrine from the heart in men?
Population
34 men, including 19 younger men (aged 20-30 years) and 15 older men (aged 60-75 years)
Comparison
Aging (older men aged 60-75 years) vs Younger men (aged 20-30 years)
Design
Cross-sectional
Authors
Discussion
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Member takes
Implication
May reflect compensatory cardiac epinephrine release in aging; leaves open effects on cardiovascular risk and need for prospective studies.
Key Points
- To determine the impact of aging on adrenal epinephrine secretion at rest and during stress, and to evaluate regional epinephrine release from the heart.
- Assessed 19 younger men (aged 20–30 years) and 15 older men (aged 60–75 years) using isotope dilution methodology.
- Measured plasma clearance, whole-body secretion, and cardiac release of epinephrine at baseline and during laboratory stressors, including mental stress, isometric exercise, and dynamic exercise.
- Resting epinephrine secretion was lower in older men (0.86 ± 0.10 nmol/min) than in younger men (1.45 ± 0.17 nmol/min; P < 0.05), alongside a 20% lower plasma epinephrine clearance rate (P < 0.01).
- Epinephrine secretory responses to mental stress, isometric exercise, and dynamic exercise were diminished in older men to 44% (P < 0.05), 44% (P = 0.1), and 33% (P = 0.01) of the younger group's responses, respectively.
- Regional cardiac epinephrine release at rest occurred exclusively in older men (9.4 ± 2.6 pmol/min; P < 0.01), likely arising from extraneuronal synthesis within cardiac tissue.
Structured PICO
Does aging alter systemic epinephrine secretion and regional release of epinephrine from the heart in men?
P
Population
34 men, including 19 younger men (aged 20-30 years) and 15 older men (aged 60-75 years)
I
Intervention
Aging (older men aged 60-75 years)
C
Comparator
Younger men (aged 20-30 years)
O
Outcome
Epinephrine secretion at rest and during laboratory stressors (mental stress, isometric exercise, dynamic exercise), and regional extraadrenal release of epinephrine from the heartsurrogate
Aging is associated with decreased systemic adrenal epinephrine secretion but increased regional release of epinephrine from the heart, suggesting a localized compensatory or extraneuronal synthesis mechanism.
Cite This Study
Esler et al. (1995) studied this question.