Faculty Collaboration Database

Impaired skeletal muscle and skin microcirculatory function in human obesity. J Hypertens 2002 Jul;20(7):1401-5

Date

07/20/2002

Pubmed ID

12131537

DOI

10.1097/00004872-200207000-00027

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0036628763 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   40 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with exaggerated blood pressure and systemic vascular resistance responses to mental stress.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that skin and muscle microvascular dilatation in response to mental stress is blunted in obesity.

DESIGN AND METHODS: Blood pressure, heart rate and forearm and skin blood flow responses to mental stress were compared in 23 obese and 23 age- and sex-matched lean normotensive individuals.

RESULTS: Blood pressure was almost identical in both obese (mean 94 +/- 1 mmHg) and lean (93 +/- 2 mmHg) individuals. The increase in blood pressure during mental stress was similar in obese and lean individuals (2.0 +/- 0.9% compared with 3.1 +/- 4.0%; P = 0.8). Forearm vascular resistance decreased during mental stress in both groups, but this decrease was significantly blunted in obese individuals compared with controls (decreases of 14 +/- 4% and 26 +/- 3%; P < 0.01). Skin microcirculatory dilatation was also significantly blunted in obese individuals compared with controls (decreases of 5 +/- 2 and 17 +/- 4%; P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS: Normotensive obese individuals exhibit markedly impaired muscle and skin microcirculatory responses to mental stress. The increased propensity of obese individuals to develop hypertension under conditions of chronic psychosocial stress may underlie obesity-related hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Author List

Agapitov AV, Correia ML, Sinkey CA, Dopp JM, Haynes WG

Author

Alexei V. Agapitov MD Staff Physician in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Blood Pressure
Dilatation, Pathologic
Female
Heart Rate
Humans
Male
Mental Competency
Microcirculation
Muscle, Skeletal
Obesity
Regional Blood Flow
Skin
Stress, Psychological
Vascular Resistance