Age-related cardiovascular response to tilt test in healthy volunteers of both sexes

Sadia Afrin Rimi,Shamima Sultana,Sultana Ferdousi

doi:10.3329/bsmmuj.v13i1.45478

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the age-related changes in the cardiovascular response to tilt test in 90 healthy individuals of both sexes (age range: 18-60 years). Tilting was done at 600 for 10 min using a motorized tilt table. The blood pressure was recorded by a sphygmomanometer. The heart rate and peripheral capillary oxygen saturation were measured by a pulse oximeter. In males, significantly lesser changes in the systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure were observed in the old age (47-60 years) than the young (18-32 years) and middle age (33-46 years) groups. Significantly lesser responses in the heart rate and systolic blood pressure change were observed in the old age females compared to young age after tilting. The rise of diastolic blood pressure after tilting was lesser in the old age female compared to both young and middle-age females. In conclusion, the aging process is associated with attenuated cardiovascular response to tilt test in both males and females.

Highlights

Transient loss of consciousness due to cerebral hypoperfusion is known as syncope.[1,2] Sudden fall due to syncope sometimes results in the fractures of extremities, hips, skull and face
Thirty healthy subjects of 18-32 years were in the young age group, 30 subjects of 33-46 years were in the middle age group and 30 subjects of BSMMU J 2020; 13: 13-17
All parameters of blood pressure were significantly higher in the old age females compared to both young age and middle-age females

Summary

Introduction

Transient loss of consciousness due to cerebral hypoperfusion is known as syncope.[1,2] Sudden fall due to syncope sometimes results in the fractures of extremities, hips, skull and face. Syncope while driving can be extremely dangerous even fatal.[3] The failure of the cardiovascular reflex response is one of the major causes of syncope. Orthostatic intolerance is the major contributing factor to the syncope.[4] The postural hypotension is the second most common etiology of syncope (15%). It is the wellrecognized feature of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction.[5] The postural hypotension has defined as a reduction of systolic blood pressure of at least 20 mm Hg or more or a reduction of diastolic blood pressure of at least 10 mm Hg, within 3 min of standing or head-up tilt to at least 60° on a tilt table.[5,6,7] The prevalence is 5% in subjects below 50 years of age and 30% in subjects greater than 70 years of age.[5] In addition to the advanced age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, bed rest, low body mass index and several medications might have been linked to postural hypotension.[8]

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