Determination of vagal baroreflex sensitivity in normal subjects. Issue 4 (5th August 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wada, Naoki; Singer, Wolfgang; Gehrking, Tonette L.; Sletten, David M.; Schmelzer, James D.; Kihara, Mikihiro; Low, Phillip A.
• Is Part Of: Muscle & nerve. Volume 50:Issue 4(2014:Oct.)
• Page Start: 535
• Page End: 540
• Publication Date: 2014-08-05
• Subjects: Neuromuscular diseases -- Periodicals; Muscles -- Periodicals; Nerves -- Periodicals; 616.74
• DOI: 10.1002/mus.24191
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0148-639X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>ABSTRACT</title> <p> <italic>Introduction</italic>: The Valsalva maneuver (VM) is used widely to quantify the sensitivity of the vagal baroreflex loop (vagal baroreflex sensitivity, BRS_v), but most studies have focused on the heart rate (HR) response to blood pressure (BP) decrement (BRS_v↓), even though the subsequent response to an increment in BP after the VM (BRS_v↑) is important and different. <italic>Methods</italic>: We evaluated recordings of HR and BP in 187 normal subjects during the VM and determined both BRS_v↑, as determined by relating HR to the BP increase after phase III and BRS_v↓. <italic>Results</italic>: BRS_v↑ was related inversely to age. In addition, BRS_v↓, age, and magnitude of phase IV were independent predictors of BRS_v↑ in a multivariate model, accounting for 47% of the variance of BRS_v↑. <italic>Conclusions</italic>: The results indicate that both BRS_v↑ and BRS_v↓ become blunted with increasing age and that these indices relate to each other. <italic>Muscle Nerve</italic> 50: 535–540, 2014</p> </abstract>