Key result
One-week prednisone raises HR by ~5 bpm vs placebo without affecting SBP or baroreflex sensitivity.
Why the study?
Does a 1-week oral administration of prednisone change systolic blood pressure level and baroreflex sensitivity in physically active male subjects?
RCT (n=12)
Double-blind
Randomized cross-over
No
Does a 1-week oral administration of prednisone change systolic blood pressure level and baroreflex sensitivity in physically active male subjects?
Absolute Event Rate: 65.8% vs 60.8%
p-value: p=0.008
A 1-week administration of oral prednisone slightly increases heart rate and low-frequency systolic blood pressure variability but does not significantly impair baroreflex sensitivity or increase overall systolic blood pressure levels.
Short-term prednisone raises HR without elevating SBP or impairing BRS in healthy men; extends RCT evidence on glucocorticoid effects to autonomic parameters.
This study analyzed baroreflex sensitivity, heart rate and systolic blood pressure variabilities during an oral 1 week administration of prednisone. This study examined the hypothesis that prednisone might change both systolic blood pressure level and baroreflex sensitivity. Twelve physically active male subjects participated to a double-blind, randomized cross-over study consisting of two 1-week periods of treatment separated by a 4-week drug-free washout period: placebo (PLA) or prednisone (PRED). Trials were performed by each subject four times on the second (D2) and seventh (D7) day of each treatment period. ECG and blood pressure were continuously recorded to compute heart rate variability, systolic blood pressure variability and baroreflex sensitivity components with the smoothed pseudo Wigner Ville distribution and baroreflex analysis. Following D2 prednisone treatment, both HR (PLA: 60.8 ± 10.5 vs. PRED: 65.8 ± 9.1 beats min(-1), p = 0.008) and low frequency component of systolic blood pressure variability (D2: 3.09 ± 0.19 vs. D7: 2.34 ± 0.19, p < 0.041) increased whereas other components did not change. Over 7 days of treatment, LF-SBP amplitude increased (D2: 2.71 ± 0.89 vs. D7: 3.87 ± 0.6 mmHg, p = 0.037). A slight increase in both HR and LF-SBPV were observed suggesting a potential sympathetic cardiovascular stimulus. Although we found a significant effect of the 1-week prednisone treatment on heart rate and low frequency power of systolic blood pressure variability, we reported neither an increase in the systolic blood pressure level nor a decrease in the baroreflex sensitivity. Therefore, the fragility of our results cannot support a deleterious effect of 1-week administration of prednisone on the autonomic cardiovascular control which might be involved in cardiovascular diseases.
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Cottin et al. (2015) conducted an RCT in Healthy (n=12). Prednisone vs. Placebo was evaluated on Heart rate on Day 2 (p=0.008). A 1-week administration of 60 mg/day prednisone in healthy young men significantly increased heart rate compared to placebo (65.8 vs 60.8 bpm) but did not increase systolic blood pressure levels or decrease baroreflex sensitivity.
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