Sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity is enhanced in postmenopausal women.

The sympathetic nervous system is critical for regulating blood pressure (BP) via the arterial baroreflex and sympathetic transduction in the peripheral vasculature. These mechanisms interact, and both may be altered with aging and impacted by menopause. Although age-related decreases in sympathetic transduction have been demonstrated in women, it remains unclear whether sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) is impaired in postmenopausal women (POST).

Sympathetic and blood pressure reactivity in young adults with major depressive disorder.

Background: Sympathetic and blood pressure (BP) hyper-reactivity to stress may contribute to increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD); however, whether this is evident in young adults with MDD without comorbid disease remains unclear. We hypothesized that acute stress-induced increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and BP would be exaggerated in young adults with MDD compared to healthy non-depressed young adults (HA) and that, in adults with MDD, greater symptom severity would be positively related to MSNA and BP reactivity.

Methods: In 28 HA (17 female) and 39 young adults with MDD of mild-to-moderate severity (unmedicated; 31 female), MSNA (microneurography) and beat-to-beat BP (finger photoplethysmography) were measured at rest and during the cold pressor test (CPT) and Stroop color word test (SCWT).

Association between time-of-day for eating, exercise, and sleep with blood pressure in adults with elevated blood pressure or hypertension: a systematic review.

The purpose of this review is to synthesize results from studies examining the association between time-of-day for eating, exercise, and sleep with blood pressure (BP) in adults with elevated BP or hypertension. Six databases were searched for relevant publications from which 789 were identified. Ten studies met inclusion criteria.

Cardiac autonomic function is preserved in young adults with major depressive disorder.

The prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) is highest in young adults and contributes to an increased risk of developing future cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The studies examining cardiac autonomic function that have included young unmedicated adults with MDD report equivocal findings, and few have considered the potential influence of disease severity or duration.