Effects of age on autonomic cardiovascular responsiveness in healthy men and women

Blood pressure and heart rate responses to the Valsalva maneuver (straining) were used to quantify the effects of age on autonomic cardiovascular responsiveness in 110 healthy men and women, 30 to 76 years. In general, aging was associated with diminished sympathetic responsiveness during strain. In women, however, the predominant age effect was a significant reduction in bradycardic response to systolic blood pressure overshoot following release of strain. When present, age-related differences in cardiovascular responses to the Valsalva maneuver were manifest by age 45. These findings are consistent with an age-related diminution of autonomic cardiovascular responsiveness in healthy adults. Moreover, they suggest that interventions to reduce the frequency and intensity of straining may be especially important in older adults in order to minimize health risks associated with rapid, abrupt changes in blood pressure.