Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown that heart rate has a limited value in reflecting the chronic state of adrenergic overdrive characterizing several cardiovascular diseases. Whether this also applies to the ability of heart rate to reflect acute and generalized changes in sympathetic activity is unknown. METHODS: In 20 healthy young subjects (age: 25.2 ± 1.2 years, mean ± SEM) we measured beat-to-beat blood pressure (Finapres), heart rate (HR, ECG), venous plasma norepinephrine (NE, high-performance liquid chromatography) and efferent postganglionic muscle sympathetic nerve traffic (MSNA, microneurography) at rest and during a cold pressor test and two intravenous infusions of nitroprusside at increasing doses. RESULTS: Both cold pressor test and nitroprusside infusions triggered marked and significant increases in HR, plasma NE and MSNA; blood pressure showing an increase with cold pressor test and a reduction with nitroprusside. The magnitude of the responses was greater with the higher than with the lower dose of nitroprusside. The HR changes induced by cold pressor test were not significantly related to the concomitant NE and MSNA changes (r = -0.08 and r = -0.18, P = NS). This was also the case for the lower and the higher dose of nitroprusside (NE: r = -0.11 and r = 0.08; MSNA: r = 0.01 and r = -0.11, P = NS for all). In contrast NE and MSNA changes induced by cold pressor test and by the lower and the higher dose of nitroprusside were significantly related to each other (r = 0.70, r = 0.89 and r = 0.79 respectively, P <0.01 for all). CONCLUSIONS: In a given individual, HR responses to sympathetic challenge do not quantitatively reflect the degree of acute and generalized adrenergic activation. Qualitative information on the acute adrenergic effects of given stimuli should thus be based on the assessment of NE and MSNA rather than on HR changes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 70-75 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Journal of Hypertension |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2008 |
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Keywords
- Heart rate
- Plasma norepinephrine
- Sympathetic activity
- Sympathetic nerve traffic
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Internal Medicine
- Endocrinology
Cite this
Heart rate as a sympathetic marker during acute adrenergic challenge. / Grassi, Guido; Seravalle, Gino; Bolla, GianBattista; Quarti-Trevano, Fosca; Dell'Oro, Raffaella; Arenare, Francesca; Mancia, Giuseppe.
In: Journal of Hypertension, Vol. 26, No. 1, 01.2008, p. 70-75.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Heart rate as a sympathetic marker during acute adrenergic challenge
AU - Grassi, Guido
AU - Seravalle, Gino
AU - Bolla, GianBattista
AU - Quarti-Trevano, Fosca
AU - Dell'Oro, Raffaella
AU - Arenare, Francesca
AU - Mancia, Giuseppe
PY - 2008/1
Y1 - 2008/1
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown that heart rate has a limited value in reflecting the chronic state of adrenergic overdrive characterizing several cardiovascular diseases. Whether this also applies to the ability of heart rate to reflect acute and generalized changes in sympathetic activity is unknown. METHODS: In 20 healthy young subjects (age: 25.2 ± 1.2 years, mean ± SEM) we measured beat-to-beat blood pressure (Finapres), heart rate (HR, ECG), venous plasma norepinephrine (NE, high-performance liquid chromatography) and efferent postganglionic muscle sympathetic nerve traffic (MSNA, microneurography) at rest and during a cold pressor test and two intravenous infusions of nitroprusside at increasing doses. RESULTS: Both cold pressor test and nitroprusside infusions triggered marked and significant increases in HR, plasma NE and MSNA; blood pressure showing an increase with cold pressor test and a reduction with nitroprusside. The magnitude of the responses was greater with the higher than with the lower dose of nitroprusside. The HR changes induced by cold pressor test were not significantly related to the concomitant NE and MSNA changes (r = -0.08 and r = -0.18, P = NS). This was also the case for the lower and the higher dose of nitroprusside (NE: r = -0.11 and r = 0.08; MSNA: r = 0.01 and r = -0.11, P = NS for all). In contrast NE and MSNA changes induced by cold pressor test and by the lower and the higher dose of nitroprusside were significantly related to each other (r = 0.70, r = 0.89 and r = 0.79 respectively, P <0.01 for all). CONCLUSIONS: In a given individual, HR responses to sympathetic challenge do not quantitatively reflect the degree of acute and generalized adrenergic activation. Qualitative information on the acute adrenergic effects of given stimuli should thus be based on the assessment of NE and MSNA rather than on HR changes.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown that heart rate has a limited value in reflecting the chronic state of adrenergic overdrive characterizing several cardiovascular diseases. Whether this also applies to the ability of heart rate to reflect acute and generalized changes in sympathetic activity is unknown. METHODS: In 20 healthy young subjects (age: 25.2 ± 1.2 years, mean ± SEM) we measured beat-to-beat blood pressure (Finapres), heart rate (HR, ECG), venous plasma norepinephrine (NE, high-performance liquid chromatography) and efferent postganglionic muscle sympathetic nerve traffic (MSNA, microneurography) at rest and during a cold pressor test and two intravenous infusions of nitroprusside at increasing doses. RESULTS: Both cold pressor test and nitroprusside infusions triggered marked and significant increases in HR, plasma NE and MSNA; blood pressure showing an increase with cold pressor test and a reduction with nitroprusside. The magnitude of the responses was greater with the higher than with the lower dose of nitroprusside. The HR changes induced by cold pressor test were not significantly related to the concomitant NE and MSNA changes (r = -0.08 and r = -0.18, P = NS). This was also the case for the lower and the higher dose of nitroprusside (NE: r = -0.11 and r = 0.08; MSNA: r = 0.01 and r = -0.11, P = NS for all). In contrast NE and MSNA changes induced by cold pressor test and by the lower and the higher dose of nitroprusside were significantly related to each other (r = 0.70, r = 0.89 and r = 0.79 respectively, P <0.01 for all). CONCLUSIONS: In a given individual, HR responses to sympathetic challenge do not quantitatively reflect the degree of acute and generalized adrenergic activation. Qualitative information on the acute adrenergic effects of given stimuli should thus be based on the assessment of NE and MSNA rather than on HR changes.
KW - Heart rate
KW - Plasma norepinephrine
KW - Sympathetic activity
KW - Sympathetic nerve traffic
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=37349034266&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=37349034266&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/HJH.0b013e3282f112e6
DO - 10.1097/HJH.0b013e3282f112e6
M3 - Article
C2 - 18090542
AN - SCOPUS:37349034266
VL - 26
SP - 70
EP - 75
JO - Journal of Hypertension
JF - Journal of Hypertension
SN - 0263-6352
IS - 1
ER -