Gender related differences in cerebral autoregulation in older healthy subjects.
Cerebral autoregulation is an intrinsic mechanism of the cerebrovasculature that maintains cerebral blood flow relatively constant over a wide range of blood pressures. Recent studies have shown sex differences in cerebral autoregulation in adolescents and young adults. We evaluated cerebral auturegulation in 419 (186 male) subjects over the age of 70 recruited as part of the MOBILIZE Boston study. CO(2) reactivity, transfer function gain and autoregulatory index (ARI) during sit to stand tests were assessed. Female subjects had significantly higher CO(2) reactivity (p < 0.001) and vasomotor range (p<0.001) as well as ARI indices (p<0.001) and lower transfer function gain in the autoregulatory band (p=0.001), implying better cerebral autoregulation, than male subjects. The mechanisms of sex based differences in cerebral autoregulation remain unclear, but the results of this study highlight the need for future work to better understand these underlying autoregulatory differences.
Deegan
Brian M
BM
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, School of Engineering & Informatics, NUI Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland. b.deegan1@nuigalway.ie
Sorond
Farzaneh A
FA
Lipsitz
Lewis A
LA
Olaighin
Gearoid
G
Serrador
Jorge M
JM
D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D012737:Sex Factors
D002245:Carbon Dioxide