Prehypertension is a comorbid state with autonomic and metabolic dysfunction

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Autonomic Nervous System Research
• Metabolic Syndrome Studies

Background:

• Prehypertension is a precursor to hypertension, associated with increased cardiovascular risk.
• Autonomic dysfunction can precede or accompany metabolic and cardiovascular abnormalities.
• Understanding the interplay between autonomic function and prehypertension is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between autonomic dysfunction and prehypertension.
• To quantify autonomic dysfunction using heart rate recovery (HRR) in subjects with and without prehypertension.
• To identify cardiovascular and metabolic factors associated with autonomic dysfunction in prehypertension.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 556 asymptomatic subjects without hypertension for comprehensive cardiovascular examinations.
• Measured heart rate recovery (HRR) after peak exercise as a quantitative index of autonomic dysfunction.
• Compared HRR and prevalence of metabolic disturbances and subclinical organ damage between prehypertension and optimal blood pressure groups.

Main Results:

• Heart rate recovery (HRR) was significantly lower in the prehypertension group (36.0 ± 14.5 bpm) compared to the optimal blood pressure group (39.3 ± 14.7 bpm, P = .009).
• The prehypertension group exhibited a higher frequency of metabolic disturbances and subclinical target organ damage.
• Resting systolic blood pressure and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level were independent predictors of HRR (P < .05).

Conclusions:

• Autonomic dysfunction is a common finding in individuals with prehypertension.
• Autonomic dysfunction in prehypertension is associated with altered systolic blood pressure and lipid metabolism.
• These findings highlight the importance of assessing autonomic function in the context of prehypertension for cardiovascular risk stratification.