gms | German Medical Science

28. Wissenschaftlicher Kongress der Deutschen Hochdruckliga

24. bis 27.11.2004, Hannover

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Baroreflex Regulation of Sympathetic Vasomotor Tone in Women and in Men

Baroreflexregulation der Sympathischen Nervenaktivität bei Männern und Frauen

Meeting Abstract (Hypertonie 2004)

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  • presenting/speaker J. Tank - Franz Volhard Clinical Research Center (Berlin, D)
  • A. Diedrich - Autonomic Dysfunction Service, Vanderbilt University (Nashville, USA)
  • E. Szczech - Autonomic Dysfunction Service, Vanderbilt University (Nashville, USA)
  • F. Luft - Franz Volhard CLinical Research Center (Berlin, D)
  • J. Jordan - Franz Volhard CLinical Research Center (Berlin, D)

Hypertonie 2004. 28. Wissenschaftlicher Kongress der Deutschen Hochdruckliga. Hannover, 24.-27.11.2004. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2005. Doc04hochP95

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/hoch2004/04hoch095.shtml

Published: August 10, 2005

© 2005 Tank et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

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Background: Blood pressure tends to be lower in premenopausal women than in men of similar age. Previous studies suggested that the gender difference may be explained in part by differences in sympathetic nervous system regulation with a reduction in sympathetic activity in women.

Methods: We recruited 32 normal weight healthy subjects (17 men, 15 women). EKG for hear rate, brachial, and finger blood pressure (BP), and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) were measured. Baroreflex heart rate and MSNA regulation were assessed using incremental phenylephrine and nitroprusside infusions.

Results: Baseline blood pressure was similar in men and in women. MSNA was 26±2.6 bursts / min in women and 18±1.8 bursts / min in men (p<0.05). We did not find a gender difference in phenylephrine or nitroprusside responsiveness. Baroreflex sensitivity for heart rate regulation was 17±3.2 msec/ mm Hg in women and 19±1.9 msec/ mm Hg in men (ns). Baroreflex sensitivity for MSNA regulation was -2.1±0.3 bursts/min/ mm Hg in women and -1.9±0.2 bursts/ min/ mm Hg in men (ns).

Conclusions: Our data is not consistent with a major difference in MSNA baroreflex regulation between young normal weight men and women. Furthermore, our study suggests that the previously described gender difference in MSNA may not be evident in all populations.