Background and Objectives: To compare autonomic and vascular responses during reactive hyperemia (RH) between healthy individuals and patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA). Materials and Methods: Eighteen healthy subjects and 24 SCA patients were subjected to arterial occlusion for 3 min at the lower right limb level. The pulse rate variability (PRV) and pulse wave amplitude were measured through photoplethysmography using the Angiodin® PD 3000 device, which was placed on the first finger of the lower right limb 2 min before (Basal) and 2 min after the occlusion. Pulse peak intervals were analyzed using time–frequency (wavelet transform) methods for high-frequency (HF: 0.15–0.4) and low-frequency (LF: 0.04–0.15) bands, and the LF/HF ratio was calculated. Results: The pulse wave amplitude was higher in healthy subjects compared to SCA patients, at both baseline and post-occlusion (p < 0.05). Time–frequency analysis showed that the LF/HF peak in response to the post-occlusion RH test was reached earlier in healthy subjects compared to SCA patients. Conclusions: Vasodilatory function, as measured by PPG, was lower in SCA patients compared to healthy subjects. Moreover, a cardiovascular autonomic imbalance was present in SCA patients with high sympathetic and low parasympathetic activity in the basal state and a poor response of the sympathetic nervous system to RH. Early cardiovascular sympathetic activation (10 s) and vasodilatory function in response to RH were impaired in SCA patients.

Purpose: To determine the influence of emotional alterations in the arterial stiffness index and cardiovascular risk of pre-hypertensive patients.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 48 pre-hypertensive patients. Emotional alterations, global cardiovascular risk and arterial stiffness index were evaluated. The PPG technique was used to record the arterial pulse wave in the first finger of the lower right limb, using the ANGIODIN® digital plethysmograph.Results: Pre-hypertensive patients with emotional alterations had major Weight, Body Mass Index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and arterial stiffness index with respect to patients who did not find emotional alterations. In pre-hypertensive patients, 58.3% presented a positive Cornell test, 39.6% of them female, and 18.8% male. There was a significant relationship (p<0.001) between the presence of emotional disturbances and moderate cardiovascular risk.Conclusions: Emotional alterations in pre-hypertensive patients is associated with an increase in arterial stiffness and an increased global cardiovascular risk.