Sex and age differences in the association between sympathetic outflow and central elastic artery wall thickness in humans

Aging is characterized by increased wall thickness of the central elastic arteries (i.e., aorta and carotid arteries), although the mechanisms involved are unclear. Evidence suggests that age-related increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) may be a contributing factor. However, studies...

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Published in:American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology Vol. 317; no. 3; p. H552
Main Authors: Holwerda, Seth W, Luehrs, Rachel E, DuBose, Lyndsey E, Majee, Rumbidzai, Pierce, Gary L
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States 01.09.2019
Subjects:
Adult
Age Factors
Aging
Carotid Arteries - diagnostic imaging
Carotid Arteries - physiopathology
Carotid Artery Diseases - diagnostic imaging
Carotid Artery Diseases - etiology
Carotid Artery Diseases - physiopathology
Carotid Intima-Media Thickness
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Muscle, Skeletal - innervation
Peroneal Nerve - physiopathology
Risk Factors
Sex Factors
Sympathetic Nervous System - physiopathology
Vascular Remodeling
Vascular Stiffness
arterial stiffness
atherosclerosis
sympathetic activity
aging
intima-media
ISSN:1522-1539, 1522-1539
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Summary:Aging is characterized by increased wall thickness of the central elastic arteries (i.e., aorta and carotid arteries), although the mechanisms involved are unclear. Evidence suggests that age-related increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) may be a contributing factor. However, studies in humans have been lacking. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that age-related increases in MSNA would be independently associated with carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) but not in young women given the reduced influence of MSNA on the vasculature in this group. In 93 young and middle-age/older (MA/O) adults (19-73 yr, 41 women), we performed assessments of MSNA (microneurography) and common carotid IMT and lumen diameter (ultrasonography). Multiple regression that included MSNA and other cardiovascular disease risk factors indicated that MSNA ( = 0.002) and 24-h systolic blood pressure (BP) ( = 0.024) were independent determinants of carotid IMT-to-lumen ratio (model R  = 0.38, < 0.001). However, when examining only young women (<45 yr), no correlation was observed between MSNA and carotid IMT-to-lumen ratio (  =  0.01, = 0.963). MSNA was significantly correlated with IMT-to-lumen ratio while controlling for 24-h systolic BP among young men (  = 0.49, < 0.001) and MA/O women (  = 0.59, = 0.022). However, among MA/O men, controlling for 24-h systolic BP attenuated the association between MSNA and carotid IMT-to-lumen ratio (  = 0.50, = 0.115). Significant age differences in IMT-to-lumen ratio between young and MA/O men ( = 0.047) and young and MA/O women ( = 0.023) were removed when adjusting for MSNA (men: = 0.970; women: = 0.152). These findings demonstrate an association between higher sympathetic outflow and carotid artery wall thickness with a particular exception to young women. Increased wall thickness of the large elastic arteries serves as a graded marker for cardiovascular disease risk and progression of atherosclerosis. Findings from the present study establish an independent association between higher sympathetic outflow and carotid artery wall thickness in adults with an exception to young women and extend findings from animal models that demonstrate hypertrophy of vascular smooth muscle following chronic sympathetic-adrenergic stimulation.
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ISSN:1522-1539
1522-1539
DOI:10.1152/ajpheart.00275.2019