Elevated Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity Contributes to Central Artery Stiffness in Young and Middle-Age/Older Adults

• Published in: Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. 1979) Vol. 73; no. 5; pp. 1025 - 1035
• Main Authors: Holwerda, Seth W, Luehrs, Rachel E, DuBose, Lyndsey, Collins, Michael T, Wooldridge, Nealy A, Stroud, Amy K, Fadel, Paul J, Abboud, Francois M, Pierce, Gary L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Heart Association, Inc 01.05.2019
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aging - physiology; Aorta - physiology; Arterial Pressure - physiology; Brachial Artery - physiology; Carotid Arteries - physiology; Femoral Artery - physiology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - innervation; Sympathetic Nervous System - physiology; Vascular Stiffness - physiology; Young Adult; arterial pressure; aging; lower body negative pressure; pulse wave velocity; compliance

Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) influences the mechanical properties (ie, vascular smooth muscle tone and stiffness) of peripheral arteries, but it remains controversial whether MSNA contributes to stiffness of central arteries, such as the aorta and carotids. We examined whether elevated M...