The effects of acute beta-adrenergic blockade on aortic wave reflection in postmenopausal women

Darren P. Casey, Timothy B. Curry, Nisha Charkoudian, Michael J. Joyner, Emma C. Hart

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background Acute beta-adrenergic blockade increases aortic-wave reflection in young women. However, it is not known whether this effect extends to postmenopausal women. We therefore examined the effect of systemic beta-adrenergic blockade on aortic wave reflection in 14 postmenopausal women with a mean age of 58±2 years. Methods Aortic pressure waveforms were synthesized noninvasively from high-fidelity radial pressure waveforms obtained through applanation tonometry before and during systemic beta-blockade with propranolol given in a bolus dose of 0.25mg/kg, followed by a continuous infusion at 0.004mg/kg/min. To further examine the effects of acute beta-blockade on aortic-wave reflection in postmenopausal women, we compared the changes in hemodynamics and indices of aortic-wave reflection with published data from a previous study with a protocol identical to that in the present study but which involved young women. Results Acute beta-blockade increased the aortic augmentation index (AIx) in postmenopausal women (32±2% vs. 35±2%, P < 0.01). However, AIx adjusted for a heart rate of 75 bpm (AIx75) was unchanged (25±2% vs. 24±2%, P > 0.05). The changes in AIx, AIx75, and the amplitude of reflected waves (augmented aortic pressure) during beta-blockade were all substantially smaller in postmenopausal women than in their younger counterparts (P < 0.05).ConclusionsAs compared with those in our previously published study involving young women, indices of aortic-wave reflection were significantly less affected by acute systemic beta-adrenergic blockade in the postmenopausal women in the present study. Taken together, our data suggest that the negative effects (i.e. increased aortic wave reflection) of nonselective beta-adrenergic blockade are less pronounced in postmenopausal than in young women.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)503-510
Number of pages8
JournalAmerican journal of hypertension
Volume26
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2013

Keywords

  • aortic wave reflection
  • beta-adrenergic receptors
  • blood pressure
  • hypertension
  • menopause

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Internal Medicine

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