Frontiers in Physiology (Aug 2023)

Hemodynamic responses to handgrip and metaboreflex activation are exaggerated in individuals with metabolic syndrome independent of resting blood pressure, waist circumference, and fasting blood glucose

  • Jon Stavres,
  • Ryan A. Aultman,
  • Caleb F. Brandner,
  • Ta’Quoris A. Newsome,
  • Anabelle Vallecillo-Bustos,
  • Havens L. Wise,
  • Alex Henderson,
  • Diavion Stanfield,
  • Joseph Mannozzi,
  • Austin J. Graybeal

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1212775
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14

Abstract

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Introduction: Prior studies report conflicting evidence regarding exercise pressor and metaboreflex responses in individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS).Purpose: To test the hypotheses that 1) exercise pressor and metaboreflex responses are exaggerated in MetS and 2) these differences may be explained by elevated resting blood pressure.Methods: Blood pressure and heart rate (HR) were evaluated in 26 participants (13 MetS) during 2 min of handgrip exercise followed by 3 min of post-exercise circulatory occlusion (PECO). Systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP), along with HR and a cumulative blood pressure index (BPI), were compared between groups using independent samples t-tests, and analyses of covariance were used to adjust for differences in resting blood pressure, fasting blood glucose (FBG), and waist circumference (WC).Results: ΔSBP (∼78% and ∼54%), ΔMAP (∼67% and ∼55%), and BPI (∼16% and ∼20%) responses were significantly exaggerated in individuals with MetS during handgrip and PECO, respectively (all p ≤ 0.04). ΔDBP, ΔMAP, and BPI responses during handgrip remained significantly different between groups after independently covarying for resting blood pressure (p < 0.01), and after simultaneously covarying for resting blood pressure, FBG, and WC (p ≤ 0.03). Likewise, peak SBP, DBP, MAP, and BPI responses during PECO remained significantly different between groups after adjusting for resting blood pressure (p ≤ 0.03), with peak SBP, MAP, and BPI response remaining different between groups after adjusting for all three covariates simultaneously (p ≤ 0.04).Conclusion: These data suggest that exercise pressor and metaboreflex responses are significantly exaggerated in MetS independent of differences in resting blood pressure, FBG, or WC.

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