TY - JOUR
T1 - Vascular limitations in blood pressure regulation with age in women
T2 - Insights from exercise and acute cardioselective β-blockade
AU - Studinski, Matthew J.
AU - Bowlus, Christine
AU - Pawelczyk, James A.
AU - Delgado Spicuzza, Jocelyn M.
AU - Gosalia, Jigar
AU - Mookerjee, Swapan
AU - Muller, Matthew D.
AU - Fragin, Jason
AU - Proctor, David N.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Experimental Physiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Physiological Society.
PY - 2025/1/1
Y1 - 2025/1/1
N2 - Younger women rely on altering cardiac output ((Formula presented.)) to regulate blood pressure (BP). In contrast, older women rely more on altering vascular tone. However, evidence suggests that the ability to alter systemic vascular conductance (SVC) is diminished in older women. In the present study, cardioselective β-blockade was utilized to diminish the relative contribution of (Formula presented.) to BP regulation and thereby evaluate age-related vascular limitations in women at rest and during large muscle dynamic exercise. Younger (n = 13, mean age 26.0 years) and older (n = 14, mean age 61.8 years) healthy women performed submaximal bouts of semi-recumbent cycling exercise at varying intensities while receiving an intravenous infusion of esmolol, a β1-antagonist, or saline control in a repeated-measures crossover design. (Formula presented.) was attenuated during esmolol infusion, with greater reductions during exercise (moderate, –1.0 (95% CI, –1.6 to –0.5) L/min, P < 0.001; heavy, –2.0 (95% CI, –2.6 to –1.5) L/min, P < 0.001) than seated rest (–0.5 (95% CI, –1.1 to 0.0) L/min, P = 0.048), and this reduction was not significantly different between age groups (P = 0.122). Older women exhibited a greater attenuation in mean arterial pressure (MAP) during esmolol (–7 (95% CI, –9 to –4) mmHg, P < 0.001) relative to younger women (–2 (95% CI, –5 to 0) mmHg, P = 0.071). These changes coincided with a greater reduction of SVC in the younger women during esmolol (–15 (95% CI, –20 to –10) mL/min/mmHg, P < 0.001) compared to older women (–3 (95% CI, –9 to 2) mL/min/mmHg, P = 0.242). Together, these findings provide evidence that older, postmenopausal women have a diminished ability to adjust SVC in order to regulate MAP.
AB - Younger women rely on altering cardiac output ((Formula presented.)) to regulate blood pressure (BP). In contrast, older women rely more on altering vascular tone. However, evidence suggests that the ability to alter systemic vascular conductance (SVC) is diminished in older women. In the present study, cardioselective β-blockade was utilized to diminish the relative contribution of (Formula presented.) to BP regulation and thereby evaluate age-related vascular limitations in women at rest and during large muscle dynamic exercise. Younger (n = 13, mean age 26.0 years) and older (n = 14, mean age 61.8 years) healthy women performed submaximal bouts of semi-recumbent cycling exercise at varying intensities while receiving an intravenous infusion of esmolol, a β1-antagonist, or saline control in a repeated-measures crossover design. (Formula presented.) was attenuated during esmolol infusion, with greater reductions during exercise (moderate, –1.0 (95% CI, –1.6 to –0.5) L/min, P < 0.001; heavy, –2.0 (95% CI, –2.6 to –1.5) L/min, P < 0.001) than seated rest (–0.5 (95% CI, –1.1 to 0.0) L/min, P = 0.048), and this reduction was not significantly different between age groups (P = 0.122). Older women exhibited a greater attenuation in mean arterial pressure (MAP) during esmolol (–7 (95% CI, –9 to –4) mmHg, P < 0.001) relative to younger women (–2 (95% CI, –5 to 0) mmHg, P = 0.071). These changes coincided with a greater reduction of SVC in the younger women during esmolol (–15 (95% CI, –20 to –10) mL/min/mmHg, P < 0.001) compared to older women (–3 (95% CI, –9 to 2) mL/min/mmHg, P = 0.242). Together, these findings provide evidence that older, postmenopausal women have a diminished ability to adjust SVC in order to regulate MAP.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85205598010&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85205598010&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1113/EP091843
DO - 10.1113/EP091843
M3 - Article
C2 - 39365983
AN - SCOPUS:85205598010
SN - 0958-0670
VL - 110
SP - 93
EP - 105
JO - Experimental Physiology
JF - Experimental Physiology
IS - 1
ER -