Why the study?
Effective baroreflex-mediated cardiac and vascular resistance responses are crucial for blood pressure control, but the impacts of age and sex during a Valsalva maneuver required investigation.
How do age and sex impact arterial blood pressure regulation during a Valsalva maneuver in healthy adults?
How do age and sex impact arterial blood pressure regulation during a Valsalva maneuver in healthy adults?
Older adults rely more on augmented vascular resistance rather than cardiac responses to maintain blood pressure during a Valsalva maneuver compared to young adults.
Age-adjusted Valsalva interpretation may be needed in autonomic testing; leaves open sex effects and clinical translation.
Effective baroreflex-mediated cardiac and vascular resistance responses are crucial for homeostatic blood pressure control. We investigated the impacts of age and sex on arterial blood pressure regulation during a standard supine Valsalva maneuver (40 mmHg, 20s) in 46 healthy young and 25 healthy older adults. Noninvasive, continuous cardiovascular parameters were recorded. In older adults, cardiac output (older: -58.4 ± 2.4%; young: -40.8 ± 1.4%; p < 0.001) and stroke volume (older: -63.6 ± 2.6%; young: -48.7 ± 1.9%; p < 0.001) fell more than in young adults and was compensated by augmented vascular resistance responses (older: +189.8 ± 17.6%; young: +105.8 ± 6.7; p < 0.001); heart rate responses were attenuated in older adults. Male and female responses were comparable in their respective age groups.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Hockin et al. (2021) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: