HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 289/3/H1226    most recent 01243.2004v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Muenter Swift, N. Articles by Low, P. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Muenter Swift, N. Articles by Low, P. A.

Baroreflex control of muscle sympathetic nerve activity in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome

¹Autonomic Disorders Center, Department of Neurology; and ²Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

Submitted 8 December 2004 ; accepted in final form 27 April 2005

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is characterized by excessive tachycardia during orthostasis. To test the hypothesis that patients with POTS have decreased sympathetic neural responses to baroreflex stimuli, we measured heart rate (HR) and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) responses to three baroreflex stimuli including vasoactive drug boluses (modified Oxford technique), Valsalva maneuver, and head-up tilt (HUT) in POTS patients and healthy control subjects. The MSNA response to the Valsalva maneuver was significantly greater in the POTS group (controls, 26 ± 7 vs. POTS, 48 ± 6% of baseline MSNA/mmHg; P = 0.03). POTS patients also had an exaggerated MSNA response to 30° HUT (controls, 123 ± 24 vs. POTS, 208 ± 30% of baseline MSNA; P = 0.03) and tended to have an exaggerated response to 45° HUT (controls, 137 ± 27 vs. POTS, 248 ± 58% of baseline MSNA; P = 0.10). Sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity calculated during administration of the vasoactive drug boluses also tended to be greater in the POTS patients; however, this did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.15). Baseline MSNA values during supine rest were not different between the groups (controls, 23 ± 4 vs. POTS, 16 ± 5 bursts/100 heartbeats; P = 0.30); however, resting HR was significantly higher in the POTS group (controls, 58 ± 3 vs. POTS, 82 ± 4 beats/min; P = 0.0001). Our results suggest that POTS patients have exaggerated MSNA responses to baroreflex challenges compared with healthy control subjects, although resting supine MSNA values did not differ between the groups.

intolerance; blood pressure; heart rate; Valsalva maneuver; head-up tilt

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. M. Stewart, I. Taneja, and M. S. Medow Reduced central blood volume and cardiac output and increased vascular resistance during static handgrip exercise in postural tachycardia syndrome Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, September 1, 2007; 293(3): H1908 - H1917. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A K Agarwal, R Garg, A Ritch, and P Sarkar Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome Postgrad. Med. J., July 1, 2007; 83(981): 478 - 480. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Schrezenmaier, W. Singer, N. M. Swift, D. Sletten, J. Tanabe, and P. A. Low Adrenergic and Vagal Baroreflex Sensitivity in Autonomic Failure Arch Neurol, March 1, 2007; 64(3): 381 - 386. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. I. Vinik and D. Ziegler Diabetic Cardiovascular Autonomic Neuropathy Circulation, January 23, 2007; 115(3): 387 - 397. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. K. Brooks and L. A.P. Francis Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: Dental treatment considerations J Am Dent Assoc, April 1, 2006; 137(4): 488 - 493. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]