title: Global link between heart rate and blood pressure oscillations at rest and during mental arousal in normotensive and hypertensive subjects.
abstract: Complex phenomena modulate the interplay between heart rate and blood pressure variability, in particular after adjustments induced by stimuli or in pathophysiological conditions. This study sought to investigate in 25 hypertensive and 16 normotensive male subjects whether relationships operating at rest may be preserved after a central nervous system arousal induced by a mental stress test. As a secondary endpoint, we evaluated the potential changes of the components of heart rate and blood pressure variability during stress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant correlation was observed between components of RR and systolic blood pressure (SBP) variability (p<0.0001), after controlling for the subject's status (normotensive vs. hypertensive) and for stress-steps (baseline condition, during stress test and recovery). Moreover, the multiple regression model accounted for the potential effects of the baseline alpha(LF) value and for the baseline heart rate and systolic blood pressure. The relationship operating between the LF/HF(RR) ratio and LF/HF(SBP) ratio was not different either at the different steps of stress test (interaction: p=0.87) or in the two groups of normotensive and hypertensive subjects (interaction: p=0.76). The variables of RR and SBP variabilities were modified during stress and recovery. In particular, the LF/HF(RR) ratio and LF/HF(SBP) ratio increased during stress and decreased during recovery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association between heart rate and blood pressure oscillations was preserved during central nervous system arousal by mental stress both in normotensives and hypertensives. A central integration may account for this constant relationship, the correlation being independent from baseline heart rate, blood pressure and baroreflex sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Clinical Medicine, University of Insubria, Viale Borri 57, Varese 21100, Italy. luigina.guasti@uninsubria.it
authors.forename: Luigina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guasti
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simoni
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mainardi
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Crespi
authors.forename: Mariagrazia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cimpanelli
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klersy
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gaudio
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Grandi
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cerutti
authors.forename: Achille
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Venco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*