Impaired adaptation of cardiopulmonary receptors to western diet in normotensive black immigrants

Abstract

A blood pressure increase was reported in black immigrants from Africa to Western countries. The present study was undertaken to evaluate whether an impairment of the cardiopulmonary reflex might make blacks unable to adapt peripheral vascular resistance to increased sodium intake. Ten normotensive clinically healthy blacks (aged 38+/-6 years) who had recently migrated from Mogadishu, Somalia to Florence and 10 age- and gender-matched healthy white subjects were investigated. Cardiopulmonary baroreceptor reflex was studied after 7 days of normal (108 mEq) and low (30 mEq) sodium intake by assessing forearm vascular resistance (FVR) and central venous pressure (CVP) during the application of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) at -10 and -20 mm Hg. With a normal sodium diet the gain in cardiopulmonary baroreceptor reflex, expressed as the FVR increase per mm Hg of CVP reduction, was significantly lower in blacks than in white subjects (2.6+/-1.1 v 5.1+/-1.1 U per mm Hg of CVP, P < .001). Differences between the groups disappeared with a low-sodium diet because the reduction of the efficiency of the cardiopulmonary baroreceptor reflex was lower in blacks than in whites (2.4+/-0.7 v 3.3+/-0.7 U per mm Hg of CVP, P = .09). In conclusion, the efficiency of the cardiopulmonary reflex is lower in normotensive black immigrants than in whites. The lower adaptation of the cardiovascular system to the Western sodium diet could contribute to reported long-term blood pressure increase.

Cardiovascular health in migrants

“…37 In the same subjects, a reduced sensitivity of the afferent pathway of the cardiopulmonary reflex with resultant defective inhibitory afference to the sympathetic outflow was also shown. 38 Sodium sensitivity and the reduced response of the afferent pathway of the cardiopulmonary reflex 38 are in agreement with the better response of hypertensive blacks to calcium blockers and diuretics than to ACE inhibitors and b-adrenergic blockers. 39 Further studies evaluating the efficacy of tailored dietary and pharmacologic treatment in ethnic minorities living in Europe are needed.…”

Electron beam tomography of an interpulmonary saddle embolus

“…Deactivation of cardiopulmonary receptors was obtained by LBNP as previously described. 22 Briefly the subjects were fitted into a fibreglass box sealed at the level of the iliac crests and underwent three 15 minute periods of LBNP in a randomised order (27,214, and 220 mm Hg), each followed by a 30 minute period of rest. Blood pressure, central venous pressure (CVP), heart rate, and forearm blood flow were determined, and vascular resistances were calculated every five minutes during each experimental period.…”

Sugar consumption and preference among Mexican, Chinese, and Nigerian immigrants to Texas

“…Other effects of migration include exposure to local pathogens, stress, anger, depression, anxiety, poverty, potential discrimination, and communication difficulties 1,4 . The health impact of dietary change is exemplified by an increase in blood pressure among African immigrants to Western Europe due to the immigrants’ poor adaptation to the relatively high sodium levels in Western diets 5 …”