Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Menopause. 2013 Sep;20(9):967-72. doi: 10.1097/GME.0b013e3182843b59.
Aortic wave reflection characteristics, such as augmentation index, are positively related to muscle sympathetic nerve activity in young men. In young women, there is an inverse relationship. We investigated whether this inverse relationship persisted in postmenopausal women.
Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (peroneal microneurography) and arterial pressure (brachial catheter) were measured in 16 postmenopausal women (mean [SEM] age, 60 [2] y). Aortic blood pressure and wave form characteristics were synthesized from radial arterial pressure waves (applanation tonometry). Specifically, augmentation index, wave reflection amplitude, and estimated wasted left ventricular energy were calculated. These data were compared with our previously published work from an identical protocol in 23 young women (mean [SEM] age, 25 [1] y).
Tonic sympathetic activity was higher in postmenopausal women than in young women (64 [3] vs 24 [4] bursts/100 heartbeats). All indices of aortic wave reflection were higher in postmenopausal women than in young women (P < 0.05). Baseline sympathetic activity was inversely related to augmentation index (r = -0.63, P < 0.05), augmented pressure (r = -0.62, P < 0.05), and wasted left ventricular energy (r = -0.61, P < 0.05) in young women. Conversely, baseline sympathetic activity was positively related to augmentation index (r = 0.63, P = 0.09), augmented pressure (r = 0.69, P < 0.05), and wasted left ventricular energy (r = 0.79, P < 0.05) in postmenopausal women.
High levels of sympathetic activity are associated with higher indices of aortic wave reflection in postmenopausal women. Consequently, postmenopausal women with high sympathetic activity may be more at risk for developing cardiovascular diseases or experiencing adverse cardiovascular system-related events.
主动脉波反射特征，如增强指数，与年轻男性的肌肉交感神经活动呈正相关。在年轻女性中，两者呈负相关。我们研究了这种负相关是否在绝经后妇女中仍然存在。
对 16 名绝经后妇女（平均[SEM]年龄 60[2]岁）进行了肌交感神经活动（腓肠神经微神经记录）和动脉压（肱动脉导管）测量。通过桡动脉压力波（平板张力测量）合成主动脉血压和波型特征。具体而言，计算了增强指数、波反射幅度和估计的左心室无效能量。将这些数据与我们以前在相同方案中对 23 名年轻女性（平均[SEM]年龄 25[1]岁）的研究结果进行了比较。
绝经后妇女的紧张性交感神经活动高于年轻女性（64[3]比 24[4]次/心跳）。所有主动脉波反射指标均高于年轻女性（P<0.05）。基础交感神经活动与增强指数（r=-0.63，P<0.05）、增强压（r=-0.62，P<0.05）和左心室无效能量（r=-0.61，P<0.05）呈负相关。相反，基础交感神经活动与增强指数（r=0.63，P=0.09）、增强压（r=0.69，P<0.05）和左心室无效能量（r=0.79，P<0.05）呈正相关。
高水平的交感神经活动与绝经后妇女的主动脉波反射指数较高有关。因此，交感神经活动较高的绝经后妇女可能面临更大的心血管疾病风险或经历不良的心血管系统相关事件。
