Blood pressure reduction after oral glucose loading and its relation to age, blood pressure and insulin

doi:10.1016/0002-9149(87)90358-4

The American Journal of Cardiology

Volume 60, Issue 13, 1 November 1987, Pages 1087-1091

https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-9149(87)90358-4 Get rights and content

Abstract

Recently it was shown that blood pressure (BP) in the elderly may decrease after a meal. The pathophysiologic mechanism of this phenomenon is unknown. It has been suggested that a failure of insulin-mediated sympathetic nervous system activation plays a role. To evaluate the role of endogenous insulin, the effects of oral glucose and oral fructose loading on BP, heart rate and norepinephrine levels were studied in 10 young normotensive volunteers (YN), 10 young hypertensive patients (YH), 10 elderly normotensive volunteers (EN) and 10 elderly hypertensive patients (EH). Fructose, 75 g/300 ml of water, elicited—in contrast to the same amount of glucose—only a small increase in insulin and glucose levels. After glucose loading, mean arterial BP decreased by 17 mm Hg in the EH group (p < 0.001), 6 mm Hg in the EN group (p < 0.01) and 7 mm Hg in the YH group (p < 0.001), and did not change in the YN group. After oral fructose loading, BP did not change in any group. In all groups except the YN group, the increases in norepinephrine level and heart rate after both tests were not significantly different. These findings suggest that the BP reduction after glucose loading is related to glucose-mediated factors. A failure of insulin-mediated sympathetic nervous system activation does not appear to play a major role.

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^☆: This study was supported by a grant from the Dutch Stimulation Fund of Gerontology.

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Blood pressure reduction after oral glucose loading and its relation to age, blood pressure and insulin☆

Abstract

Am J Cardiol

Metabolism

Metabolism

Lancet

Postprandial reduction in blood pressure in the elderly

N Engl J Med

The course of blood pressure after a meal: a difference between young and elderly subjects

J Hypertension

Postprandial blood pressure reduction in healthy elderly

J Am Geriatric Soc

Effect of insulin and glucose infusions on sympathetic nervous system activity in normal man

Diabetes

Reduced imprecision of the radioenzymatic assay of plasma catecholamines by improving the stability of the internal standards

Clin Chim Acta