Effects of Aging on the Responsiveness of the Human Cardiac Sympathetic Nerves to Stressors

Esler, Murray; Thompson, Jocelyn S.; Kaye, David M.; Turner, Andrea; Jennings, Garry; Cox, Helen; Lambert, Gavin W.; Seals, Douglas R.

doi:10.1161/01.cir.91.2.351

Cited by 164 publications

(119 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…35 More importantly, the study of Ward et al 18 that reported a lack of association with gestational age at birth differs markedly in the age of the participants. BP responses in that study, and also in a study of young healthy individuals in response to TSST, 36 were lower than those in our study and increasing age is accompanied by alterations in responses to acute stress: BP responses are increased especially in women, 22 and parasympathetic withdrawal 19 as well as increases in plasma norepinephrine spillover 20 become more pronounced. Our findings are supported, however, by observations that earlier gestational age also within its normal variation is associated with adverse cardiovascular health outcomes such as the resting BP level in adult women 2 and mortality from cerebrovascular disease.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 63%

“…However, both cardiac and vascular determinants of BP and HR reactivity are modified by age. 19,20 Thus, it is not known whether these findings in young adults can be generalized to samples varying in age. A study in 56-to 61-year-old individuals born during or just after the Dutch World War II famine showed an association between lower birth weight and higher BP responsiveness, 21 but again generalizing from these findings is difficult because of the extreme conditions associated with the famine.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stressors in late adulthood is predicted by gestational age at birth

Feldt

Räikkönen

Eriksson³

et al. 2007

J Hum Hypertens

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The relationships of body size and gestational age at birth with adult blood pressure (BP) are relatively modest compared to their stronger associations with cardiovascular disease. BP reactivity is a strong predictor of cardiovascular morbidity, and it is possible that reactivity, rather than resting level, is determined in utero. We investigated whether body size and gestational age at birth predict BP reactivity during experimentally induced psychosocial stress in late adulthood. A total of 73 men and 80 women born after 36 weeks' gestation in Helsinki, Finland, during 1934-1944 underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST); a standardized psychosocial stress test consisting of a public speech and an arithmetic task. Changes in BP were monitored continuously by a non-invasive finger photoplethysmography (Finometer, FMS, Amsterdam, The Netherlands). The results showed that the most robust early determinant of BP reactivity was gestational age; however, with opposite relationships between the sexes (P for interaction o0.001). A 1-week increase in gestational age was associated with a 3.1 mm Hg (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.2 to 6.0) and 1.2 mm Hg (95% CI, À0.1 to 2.6) decreases in systolic and diastolic BP reactivity in women, but with 5.2 mm Hg (95% CI, 1.9 to 8.4) and 2.3 mm Hg (95% CI, 0.9 to 3.8) increases in men. In conclusion, normal variation in gestational age at birth predicts cardiovascular stress reactivity in later adulthood. Given that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis contributes to the regulation of autonomic nervous system function and the timing of parturition, and shows well-established sex differences, we speculate a role for early programming of this axis in explaining the findings.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 63%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stressors in late adulthood is predicted by gestational age at birth

Feldt

Räikkönen

Eriksson³

et al. 2007

J Hum Hypertens

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“…24 However, one study did find increased resting NE release with aging. 25 NE spillover from the synapse into plasma is selectively enhanced with aging in several vascular beds, including those of the heart 20,21,24,26 and hepatomesenteric area.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contributions of the sympathetic nervous system, glutathione, body mass and gender to blood pressure increase with normal aging: influence of heredity

Kennedy

Rao

Botiglieri³

et al. 2005

J Hum Hypertens

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Body mass and sympathetic activity increase with aging and might underlie blood pressure (BP) elevation. Increased body mass index (BMI) may elevate BP by increasing sympathetic activity. Glutathione (GSH) can decrease BP, and declines with aging. We measured systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP, BMI, plasma (NE pl ) and urine norepinephrine (NE u ), and plasma GSH in n ¼ 204 twins across the age spectrum. BP correlated directly with BMI, NE pl , and NE u , but inversely with GSH. Age correlated with BP, BMI, NE pl , and NE u . BP, BMI, NE pl , and NE u were higher in older subjects than younger subjects, whereas GSH was lower with aging. In older subjects with high (above median) NE pl , SBP was 8 mmHg higher than in those of comparable age with low NE. In younger subjects with high GSH, BP was significantly lower than in younger subjects having low GSH. NE u was significantly reduced in young high-BMI subjects vs young low-BMI subjects. The heritability (h 2 ) of NE pl, NE u , and GSH ranged from B50 to B70%, and these biochemical quantities were considerably more heritable than BP. We conclude that increases in sympathetic activity contribute to aging-induced SBP elevations, especially in older females. GSH reductions apparently participate in aging-induced BP elevations, most strongly in males. BMI increases contribute to BP elevations, particularly in younger subjects. BMI elevations apparently raise BP mainly by peripheral mechanisms, with generally little sympathetic activation. Substantial h 2 for plasma GSH, NE, and urine NE suggests that such traits may be useful 'intermediate phenotypes' in the search for genetic determinants of BP.

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“…The literature reports that in heart a norepinephrine spillover from the nerve endings to plasma ) coupled with a reduction in re-uptake (Esler et al 1995) suggest an augmentation in plasma norepinephrine with age (Ziegler et al 1976;Young et al 1980). Renal sympathetic nerve activity also has been reported to increase, but there is impaired baroreflex control of both heart rate and blood pressure (Hajduczok et al 1991).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decreased alpha-adrenergic constriction of renal preglomerular arteries occurs with age and is gender-specific in the rat

Falcone

Joshua

Passmore

2005

AGE

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Age and/or gender appear to moderate alpha-adrenergic mediated constrictor mechanisms found in the interlobar arteries of the Munich Wistar rat. We have determined the extent of constriction to alpha-adrenergic receptor stimulation using norepinephrine, phenylephrine and A61603 (a 1A -adrenergic receptor agonist) as a function of age and gender. Norepinephrine produced less constriction in male-derived arteries at ages greater than eight months as compared to the younger adult male (four to six months). The arteries derived from females did not demonstrate altered constriction until greater than 15 months of age. Similarly, arteries derived from the male demonstrated weaker constrictions to phenylephrine (10 j6 to 10 j3 M) at ages greater than eight months while arteries from females showed differences at greater than 15 months. In contrast, the effective concentration of norepinephrine to cause a 50% maximal constriction (EC 50 ) was significantly less in the four to five-month-old male rats compared to the pooled data from older groups. Interestingly, four to five month old males had A61603 EC 50 values similar to the 8-to 12-month and 15+ old females. These studies conclude that an age related loss of sympathetic a-adrenergic constriction of renal interlobar arteries is present in Munich Wistar rats. Furthermore, this loss, while similar along longitudinal aspects of age, is also different as a function of gender with the loss of a-adrenergic constrictor function delayed in the female when compared to the male.

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Effects of Aging on the Responsiveness of the Human Cardiac Sympathetic Nerves to Stressors

Cited by 164 publications

References 40 publications

Cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stressors in late adulthood is predicted by gestational age at birth

Cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stressors in late adulthood is predicted by gestational age at birth

Contributions of the sympathetic nervous system, glutathione, body mass and gender to blood pressure increase with normal aging: influence of heredity

Decreased alpha-adrenergic constriction of renal preglomerular arteries occurs with age and is gender-specific in the rat

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