Exercise Hypertension and Aortic Stiffness in Adults Survivors of Prematurity

Abstract

Matthew Peters, Christopher R. Barnard, Emily T. Farrell, Mari Palta, Marlowe W. Eldridge, Harald M. Stauss, John F. Dagle, Jeffrey Segar, Gary L. Pierce, Melissa L. BatesRationaleThe long‐term consequences of premature birth, and the interventions necessary to treat premature birth, are not well understood. Previous studies have shown pulmonary insufficiencies, but few have looked at hemodynamic variables. None have looked into exercise and hypoxia intolerance in these adults who were born prematurely.ObjectivesTo determine exercise capacity and hemodynamic responses during exercise and hypoxia in prematurely born adults. To derive pulse wave velocity under normoxia and hypoxiaMethodsPreterm (N=10) and term‐born, aged matched subjects (N=12), were performed incremental exercise under normoxia (21% O2) or hypoxia (12% O2) until volitional maximum.ResultsPreterm subjects and term‐born subjects have similar forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), functional vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC, diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide, maximum wattage, and VO2 max. The preterm adults had higher heart rates, systolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure throughout the exercise protocol under normoxia and hypoxia. They had a higher diastolic pressure and mean arterial pressure during exercise under normoxia, but had lower diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure under hypoxia. Adults born prematurely also had higher pulse wave velocities in normoxia and hypoxia, but there was no effect of the gas condition.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that heart rate and blood pressure responses to exercise in adults who survived prematurity differ from those who were born at full‐term. Premature adults elevated blood pressure more than term‐born adults when exercise under normoxia. A similar trend is seen under hypoxia, however, diastolic blood pressure falls which may be due to increased sensitivity to or production of vasodilators under hypoxic conditions.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.