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Autonomic nervous system activity in normotensive subjects with a family history of hypertension

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Abstract

This study was designed to address alterations in autonomic nervous system activity in normotensive subjects with a family history of hypertension. We compared the autonomic nervous system activity in 59 normotensives with a family history of hypertension and 46 normotensives with no family history of hypertension. Skin blood flow was measured using laser-Doppler method on the nailfold skin in the resting condition, during systemic cooling and during upright tilting. Finger blood pressure, pulse and ECG were monitored by a finapres device. Heart rate, systolic pressure and microvascular flow power spectral analyses were performed using fast Fourier transformation. Baroreflex sensitivity was estimated with the sequence method. Compared to the control group, normotensives with a family history of hypertension showed significantly higher systolic pressure, decreased proportion and area of the high-frequency band of the heart rate variability power spectrum and reduced baroreflex sensitivity in the resting condition as well as a decreased proportion and area of the high-frequency band of the heart rate variability power spectrum during systemic cooling. We also proved a different time course of baroreflex sensitivity during upright tilting in the two groups. In contrast, we did not find any significant differences in the parameters of systolic pressure and microvascular variability power spectra between the two groups. Our results indicate that even normotensives with a family history of hypertension exhibit an increased ratio of sympathetic to parasympathetic activity at the cardiac level; however, they do not show any alteration of the vascular sympathetic reactivity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Jerica Maver MD, PhD &  Martin Štrucl MD, PhD

  2. Franc Derganc General Hospital, Dept. of Cardiology, Šempeter pri Gorici, Slovenia

    Jerica Maver MD, PhD

  3. Ivana Regenta 14, 5000, Nova Gorica, Slovenia

    Jerica Maver MD, PhD

  4. University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Division of Hypertension, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Rok Accetto MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Jerica Maver MD, PhD
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  2. Martin Štrucl MD, PhD
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  3. Rok Accetto MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Jerica Maver MD, PhD.

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Maver, J., Štrucl, M. & Accetto, R. Autonomic nervous system activity in normotensive subjects with a family history of hypertension. Clin Auton Res 14, 369–375 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-004-0185-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-004-0185-z

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