Key result
Premature birth in adult males is linked to ~63% higher baroreflex sensitivity and blunted hypoxia response.
Why the study?
Premature birth may cause specific cardiovascular responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia that might hamper high-altitude acclimatization, but its consequences on baroreflex sensitivity under these conditions were unknown.
Does premature birth alter baroreflex sensitivity responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia in male adults?
Cross-Sectional (n=34)
Does premature birth alter baroreflex sensitivity responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia in male adults?
Absolute Event Rate: 21.2% vs 13%
p-value: p=<0.01
May alter autonomic assessment in premature birth survivors; leaves open clinical relevance of blunted hypoxic responses.
Premature birth may result in specific cardiovascular responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia, that might hamper high‐altitude acclimatization. This study investigated the consequences of premature birth on baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) under hypoxic, hypobaric and hypercapnic conditions. Seventeen preterm born males (gestational age, 29 ± 1 weeks), and 17 age‐matched term born adults (40 ± 0 weeks) underwent consecutive 6‐min stages breathing different oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations at both sea‐level and high‐altitude (3375 m). Continuous blood pressure and ventilatory parameters were recorded in normobaric normoxia (NNx), normobaric normoxic hypercapnia (NNx + CO 2 ), hypobaric hypoxia (HHx), hypobaric normoxia (HNx), hypobaric normoxia hypercapnia (HNx + CO 2 ), and hypobaric hypoxia with end‐tidal CO 2 clamped at NNx value (HHx + clamp). BRS was assessed using the sequence method. Across all conditions, BRS was lower in term born compared to preterm (13.0 ± 7.5 vs. 21.2 ± 8.8 ms⋅mmHg −1 , main group effect: p < 0.01) participants. BRS was lower in HHx compared to NNx in term born (10.5 ± 4.9 vs. 16.0 ± 6.0 ms⋅mmHg −1 , p = 0.05), but not in preterm (27.3 ± 15.7 vs. 17.6 ± 8.3 ms⋅mmHg −1 , p = 0.43) participants, leading to a lower BRS in HHx in term born compared to preterm ( p < 0.01). In conclusion, this study reports a blunted response of BRS during acute high‐altitude exposure without any influence of changes in inspired CO 2 in healthy prematurely born adults.
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Manferdelli et al. (2024) conducted a cross-sectional in Baroreflex sensitivity in hypoxia (n=34). Premature birth vs. Term birth was evaluated on Baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) across all conditions (p=<0.01). Prematurely born male adults exhibited higher baroreflex sensitivity across all conditions compared to term-born adults (21.2 vs 13.0 ms⋅mmHg−1, p<0.01) and a blunted response during acute hypoxia.
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