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Vascular hemodynamics and blood pressure differences between young and older women
Brantley K Ballenger1, Gary R Hunter2, Gordon Fisher2,3
1Department of Kinesiology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA. bkb248@msstate.edu.
Insights
Blood pressure and vascular function differ between young and older women. Inflammation marker tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and small artery elasticity explain these age-related blood pressure differences.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular physiology
- Aging research
- Hypertension risk factors
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the US, with hypertension as a primary risk factor.
- Identifying hypertension causes is crucial for effective treatment strategies.
- This study investigated age-related differences in blood pressure and hemodynamics in women.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare blood pressure and hemodynamic values between young and older healthy women.
- To identify factors contributing to blood pressure variations across age groups.
- To explore the role of inflammation and vascular elasticity in age-related hemodynamic changes.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 49 young and 103 older non-hypertensive women meeting specific health criteria.
- Assessed body composition, non-invasive pulse wave velocity for hemodynamics, and inflammation markers via blood analysis.
- Measured systolic blood pressure (SBP), large and small artery elasticity, systemic vascular resistance, total vascular impedance, and estimated cardiac output.
Main Results:
- Significant differences were observed in body fat, SBP, artery elasticity, vascular resistance, impedance, cardiac output, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) between age groups.
- Adjusting for small artery elasticity and TNF-α rendered the SBP difference between age groups non-significant.
- These findings highlight the impact of vascular health and inflammation on blood pressure regulation in aging women.
Conclusions:
- Blood pressure and hemodynamic measures vary significantly between young and older women, irrespective of body composition.
- Inflammation marker TNF-α and small artery elasticity are key factors explaining age-related blood pressure differences.
- These insights are vital for understanding hypertension development and informing targeted interventions in aging populations.
Background:
Cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of death in the United States, and hypertension is a primary risk factor. Therefore, the primary causes of hypertension need to be identified so they may be addressed for treatment. The purpose of this study was to compare blood pressure with hemodynamic values and identify factors that may explain blood pressure differences between a cohort of healthy normotensive younger and older women.
Methods:
Participants were 49 young (age: 33.8 ± 5.9) and 103 old (age: 65.8 ± 4) who were non-hypertensive, had no previous history of heart disease or type 2 diabetes, body mass index less than 30 kg/m2, normal electrocardiography response at rest and during exercise, nonsmokers, and no use of medications known to affect cardiovascular or metabolic function. Body composition measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Hemodynamic values measured by non-invasive pulse wave velocity through radial artery tonometry. Markers of inflammation measured through blood sample analysis.
Results:
Significant differences exist between young and old groups in %fat (P < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (SBP) (P = 0.001), large artery elasticity (P = 0.005), small artery elasticity (P < 0.001), systemic vascular resistance (P = 0.004), total vascular impedance (P < 0.001), estimated cardiac output (P < 0.001), and tumor necrosis factor-⍺ (TNF-⍺) (P < 0.001). Using ANCOVA the difference in SBP between age groups was no longer significant after adjusting for small artery elasticity (P < 0.001) and TNF-⍺ (P = 0.041).
Conclusions:
These data demonstrate that blood pressure and vascular hemodynamic measures differ significantly between young and old women independent of body composition. Furthermore, these differences may be explained by the inflammation marker TNF-⍺ and/or small artery elasticity.
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