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

TITLE=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

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1212775

DOI=10.3389/fphys.2023.1212775

ISSN=1664-042X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Introduction:</bold> Prior studies report conflicting evidence regarding exercise pressor and metaboreflex responses in individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS).</p><p><bold>Purpose:</bold> 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.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> 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 <italic>t</italic>-tests, and analyses of covariance were used to adjust for differences in resting blood pressure, fasting blood glucose (FBG), and waist circumference (WC).</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> 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 <italic>p</italic> ≤ 0.04). ΔDBP, ΔMAP, and BPI responses during handgrip remained significantly different between groups after independently covarying for resting blood pressure (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.01), and after simultaneously covarying for resting blood pressure, FBG, and WC (<italic>p</italic> ≤ 0.03). Likewise, peak SBP, DBP, MAP, and BPI responses during PECO remained significantly different between groups after adjusting for resting blood pressure (<italic>p</italic> ≤ 0.03), with peak SBP, MAP, and BPI response remaining different between groups after adjusting for all three covariates simultaneously (<italic>p</italic> ≤ 0.04).</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> These data suggest that exercise pressor and metaboreflex responses are significantly exaggerated in MetS independent of differences in resting blood pressure, FBG, or WC.</p>