Acute autonomic responses to postural change, Valsalva maneuver, and paced breathing in older type II diabetic men.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effects of advanced age and diabetes on the response to standard tests of cardiovascular reflexes.


METHODS
Group comparison.


METHODS
Psychophysiology laboratory, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.


METHODS
Sixteen elderly male (67-81 years old) non-insulin dependent diabetic subjects without hypertension and nine elderly male (63-77 years old) controls.


METHODS
Continuous (beat-by-beat) measures of heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and skin conductance were studied during tests of Valsalva maneuver, deep breathing, and postural change from sitting to standing.


RESULTS
In comparison with elderly controls, the diabetic patients showed altered cardiovascular responses in measures of heart rate variability during Valsalva and standing. None of the subjects evidenced frank postural hypotension, but there was a greater fall in diastolic blood pressure immediately after standing for the diabetic patients compared with the controls. There was also a significant relationship between this response and decreased heart rate variability during Valsalva.


CONCLUSIONS
Older type II diabetic patients compared with healthy controls had mild cardiovascular abnormalities. These results parallel those of studies comparing younger diabetics and controls.
Psychophysiology Research 151J, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Sepulveda, CA 91343.
B D
BD
Naliboff
S L
SL
Gilmore
M J
MJ
Rosenthal
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003971:Diastole; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D011187:Posture; D012119:Respiration / Q000502:physiology*; D013599:Systole; D014636:Valsalva Maneuver / Q000502:physiology
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin