Mental stress induces different reactions in nutritional and thermoregulatory human skin microcirculation: a study in borderline hypertensives and normotensives.
It has recently been shown that the reactivity of total (= thermoregulatory) and nutritional (= capillary) skin microcirculation differs in hypertension and normotension (NT) with a reduced stress response in hypertension. The present study investigated skin microcirculation in 40 patients with borderline hypertension (BHT) and 38 NT controls. Capillary blood flow (CBV, dynamic capillaroscopy) and subpapillary thermoregulatory flow (Laser Doppler fluxmetry, LDF) was measured at rest, after arterial occlusion and during and after a mental stress test. Resting CBV (0.48 vs. 0.50 mm/s) and LDF (3.19 vs. 3.06 AU) were equal in the two groups and no difference was found in postocclusive hyperaemia response. Reactivity to mental stress was similar in both groups with a significant increase in LDF (45% and 39%) and a significant decrease in CBV (35% and 30%). In nonsmokers the BHT group tended to increase less in LDF (50% vs. 72%) and decrease slightly more in CBV (35% vs. 28%) than the NT group. No such difference was seen in smokers. Mental stress induces opposite reactions in total and nutritional skin microcirculation both in borderline hypertensives and normotensives. There were no significant differences in reactivity between the two groups, possibly due to the alleviated responses seen in smokers in both groups.
Lemne
C
C
Department of Medicine II, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
de Faire
U
U
Fagrell
B
B
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D002196:Capillaries; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*; D012881:Skin Temperature; D012907:Smoking; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*