title: Repeatability and relationship between arterialized catecholamines and blood pressure in elderly subjects.
abstract: Little work has been conducted to assess repeatability and relation of arterialized plasma catecholamines to blood pressure in elderly subjects. We studied 19 untreated elderly patients with essential hypertension and 19 matched normotensives on two occasions one week apart. After prolonged supine rest, BP, pulse rate and arterialized plasma catecholamine levels were measured. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, plasma adrenaline (A) and noradrenaline (NA) repeatabilities were similar for the hypertensive and normotensive groups. Mean supine pulse rate was significantly higher in the hypertensive group as were arterialized plasma A, but not NA, levels. For the whole group there was a significant univariate correlation between log plasma A and SBP (r = 0.53), DBP (r = 0.59) and pulse rate (r = 0.41). In keeping with previously published work in younger subjects these results indicate a possible role for adrenaline in the maintenance of raised blood pressure levels in elderly people.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Medicine for the Elderly, Leicester General Hospital.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Potter
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Fotherby
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Macdonald
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001158:Arteries; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine