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Rapid onset pressor and sympathetic responses to static handgrip in older hypertensive adults

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 29, pages 402–408 (2015)Cite this article

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Abstract

Exaggerated pressor and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) responses have been reported during static handgrip in hypertensive (HTN) adults. Recent work suggests that such responses may occur much more rapidly in HTN patients; however, this has not been extensively studied. Thus, we examined the blood pressure (BP) and MSNA responses at the immediate onset of muscle contraction and tested the hypothesis that older HTN adults would exhibit rapid onset pressor and sympathetic responses compared with normotensive (NTN) adults. Heart rate (HR), BP (Finometer) and MSNA (peroneal microneurography) were retrospectively analyzed in 15 HTN (62±1 years; resting BP 153±3/91±5 mm Hg) and 23 age-matched NTN (60±1 years; resting BP 112±1/67±2 mm Hg) subjects during the first 30 s of static handgrip at 30 and 40% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). HTN adults demonstrated exaggerated increases in mean BP during the first 10 s of both 30% (NTN: Δ1±1 vs HTN: Δ7±2 mm Hg; P<0.05) and 40% (NTN: Δ2±1 vs HTN: Δ8±2 mm Hg; P<0.05) intensity handgrip. Likewise, HTN adults exhibited atypical increases in MSNA within 10 s. Increases in HR were also greater in HTN adults at 10 s of 30% MVC handgrip, although not at 40% MVC. There were no group differences in 10 s pressor or sympathetic responses to a cold pressor test, suggesting no differences in generalized sympathetic responsiveness. Thus, static handgrip evokes rapid onset pressor and sympathetic responses in older HTN adults. These findings suggest that older HTN adults likely have greater cardiovascular risk even during short duration activities of daily living that contain an isometric component.

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Acknowledgements

The time and effort expended by all the volunteer subjects are greatly appreciated. We acknowledge the assistance of Dr Erin E Paul with data collection. We also thank Dr Allen Prettyman and Dr Michael Stillabower for assistance with medical screening of participants. The support of Kathy Masso, BS is appreciated. This research was supported by an American College of Sports Medicine Foundation Grant (to JLG). JLG was supported by an American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship (11PRE7580026).

Author Contributions

JLG, DGE, PJF and WBF: conception and design of research; JLG and WBF: performed experiments; JLG: analyzed the data; JLG, DGE, PJF and WBF: interpreted results of experiments; JLG: prepared figures and drafted the manuscript; JLG, DGE, PJF and WBF: edited and revised the manuscript; and JLG, DGE, PJF and WBF: approved the final version of the manuscript. The experiments of this study were conducted in the Departments of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology and Biological Sciences at the University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA

    J L Greaney, D G Edwards & W B Farquhar

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA

    J L Greaney, D G Edwards & W B Farquhar

  3. Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    P J Fadel

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  1. J L Greaney
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Correspondence to W B Farquhar.

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Greaney, J., Edwards, D., Fadel, P. et al. Rapid onset pressor and sympathetic responses to static handgrip in older hypertensive adults. J Hum Hypertens 29, 402–408 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2014.106

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