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European Journal of Applied Physiology
Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology 5/2018

Open Access 01-05-2018 | Original Article

Forearm vasodilator responses to environmental stress and reactive hyperaemia are impaired in young South Asian men

Authors: Natalie G. Ormshaw, Rehan T. Junejo, Janice M. Marshall

Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology | Issue 5/2018

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Abstract

Purpose

Prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is greater in South Asians (SAs) than White Europeans (WEs). Endothelial dysfunction and blunted forearm vasodilatation to environmental stressors have been implicated in CVD. We investigated whether these features are present in young SA men.

Methods

In 15 SA and 16 WE men (19–23 years), we compared changes in forearm blood flow, arterial blood pressure (ABP), forearm vascular conductance (FVC), heart rate, and electrodermal resistance (EDR; sweating) following release of arterial occlusion (reactive hyperaemia endothelium-dependent) and 5 single sounds at 5–10 min intervals (stressors).

Results

All were normotensive. Peak reactive hyperaemia was smaller in SAs than WEs (FVC increase: 0.36 ± 0.038 vs 0.44 ± 0.038 units; P < 0.05). Furthermore, in WEs, mean FVC increased at 5, 15, and 20 s of each sound (vasodilatation), but increased at 5 s only in SAs, decreasing by 20 s (vasoconstriction). This reflected a smaller proportion of SAs showing forearm vasodilatation at 15 s (5/15 SAs vs 11/16 WEs: P < 0.01), the remainder showing vasoconstriction. Concomitantly, WEs showed greater bradycardia and EDR changes. Intra-class correlation analyses showed that all responses were highly reproducible over five sounds in both WEs and SAs. Moreover, sound-evoked changes in ABP and FVC were negatively correlated in each ethnicity (P < 0.01). However, WEs showed preponderance of forearm vasodilatation and depressor responses; SAs showed preponderance of vasoconstriction and pressor responses.

Conclusions

Endothelium-dependent vasodilatation is blunted in young SA men. This could explain their impaired forearm vasodilatation and greater pressor responses to repeated environmental stressors, so predisposing SAs to hypertension and CVD.
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Metadata
Title
Forearm vasodilator responses to environmental stress and reactive hyperaemia are impaired in young South Asian men
Authors
Natalie G. Ormshaw
Rehan T. Junejo
Janice M. Marshall
Publication date
01-05-2018
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
European Journal of Applied Physiology / Issue 5/2018
Print ISSN: 1439-6319
Electronic ISSN: 1439-6327
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-3829-8

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