This study examined the regulatory effects of autonomic nervous system on aerobic endurance exercise performance in cold exposure, focusing on heart rate recovery (HRR) and heart rate variability (HRV) across genders. Thirty participants (17 males and 13 females) from a university track endurance program, classified as exercise grade II or above, underwent monitoring of HRV in time domain, frequency domain, nonlinear correlation indices and 1 min HRR. Measurements were taken before, during, and after aerobic endurance exercise in cold and normal environments, respectively. The results were as follows. (1) The duration of aerobic endurance exercise completed by all the subjects in cold environment was significantly increased compared with that in normal environment. The 1 min HRR after aerobic endurance exercise in cold environment was significantly lower than that in normal environment, and the decrease in the males was significantly higher than that in the females. (2) The time domain analysis results showed that, prior to the aerobic endurance exercise, there were no significant difference of standard deviation from the mean value of normal to normal intervals (SDNN), root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), and percentage of adjacent normal-to-normal intervals differing by more than 50 ms (pNN50) between cold and normal environments. During aerobic endurance exercise in cold environment, SDNN, RMSSD and pNN50 were significantly higher than those in normal environment, with the females showing significantly greater increases compared with those of the males. The levels of SDNN, RMSSD and pNN50 in the males at different time points under different environments were significantly lower than those in the quiet state; The levels of SDNN and RMSSD of the females at different time points under different environments were significantly lower than those in the quiet state, while the pNN50 at different time points under cold environments was significantly lower than that in the quiet state. (3) Frequency domain analysis results showed that, prior to the aerobic endurance exercise, there was no significant difference of high frequency normalized units [HF (n.u.)], low frequency normalized units [LF (n.u.)] and LF/HF ratio between cold and normal environments. During aerobic endurance exercise in cold environment, the levels of HF (n.u.) significantly increased compared to normal environment in the females, while LF (n.u.) and LF/HF ratio levels significantly decreased compared to normal environments. The levels of HF (n.u.), LF (n.u.) and LF/HF ratio of different genders at different time points in the different environments showed no significant changes, compared to those in the quiet state. (4) Non-linear analysis results showed a significant increase in SD1 (standard deviation perpendicular to the line-of-identity)/SD2 (standard deviation along the line-of-identity) ratio during aerobic endurance exercise in cold environment in the females, while no significant changes were observed in the males. SD1/SD2 ratios in the males at different time points and in the females at 1 min under cold environments were significantly higher than those in the quiet state. These findings suggest that aerobic endurance performance increases during cold exposure, accompanied by gender-specific differences in the regulation of autonomic nervous system. Females exhibit higher vagal activity and faster autonomic nervous system recovery compared to males.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Heart Rate/physiology* ; Cold Temperature ; Exercise/physiology* ; Physical Endurance/physiology* ; Autonomic Nervous System/physiology* ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Sex Factors

The nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) is the primary brain region for receiving and integrating cardiovascular afferent signals. It plays a crucial role in maintaining balance of autonomic nervous system and regulating blood pressure through cardiovascular reflexes. Neurons within the NTS form complex synaptic connections and interact reciprocally with other brain regions. The NTS regulates autonomic nervous system activity and arterial blood pressure through modulating baroreflex, sympathetic nerve activity, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and oxidative stress. Dysfunctions in NTS activity may contribute to hypertension. Understanding the NTS' role in centrally regulating blood pressure and alterations of neurotransmission or signaling pathways in the NTS may provide rationale for new therapeutic strategies of prevention and treatment. This review summarizes the research findings on autonomic nervous system regulation and arterial blood pressure control by NTS, as well as unresolved questions, in order to provide reference for future investigation.
Solitary Nucleus/physiopathology* ; Hypertension/physiopathology* ; Humans ; Animals ; Autonomic Nervous System/physiopathology* ; Blood Pressure/physiology* ; Baroreflex/physiology* ; Renin-Angiotensin System/physiology* ; Sympathetic Nervous System/physiology*

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of resistance combined with aerobic chrono-exercise on the common carotid artery elasticity and hemodynamics. 24 healthy young men (21.96±0.43 years old) underwent a single acute resistance combined with aerobic exercise intervention at eight time periods (6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 o'clock). The axial flow velocity and diameter waveforms of the common carotid artery were measured, and the hemodynamics were calculated using the classical hemodynamic theory before exercise, immediately after exercise, 10 min and 20 min after exercise. The results showed that during exercise recovery, systolic and mean pressures decreased more markedly after exercise at 8 o'clock (P < 0.05); At 20 min post-exercise, arterial stiffness index and pressure-strain elastic modulus after exercise at 6 o'clock were reduced compared with the resting state, but were significantly elevated after exercise at 20 o'clock (P < 0.05). Immediately after exercise, the pressure rise was higher after exercise at 6 o'clock and the mean wall shear stress was higher after exercise at 20 o'clock (P < 0.05). These results suggest that resistance combined with aerobic chrono-exercise produces different effects on common carotid artery hemodynamics in young men. A single acute session of resistance combined with aerobic exercise at 8 o'clock is more effective in lowering blood pressure. Exercise at 6 o'clock is beneficial to improve arterial elasticity but is not recommended for young male individuals with cardiovascular disease risks because of the excessive increase in blood pressure immediately after exercise. Exercise at 20 o'clock is more effective in improving wall shear stress but is accompanied by elevated arterial stiffness indices and pressure-strain elastic modulus. These results provide a scientific basis for healthy young men in choosing the time of exercise by exploring the common carotid artery elasticity and hemodynamic-related indices.
Humans ; Male ; Young Adult ; Exercise/physiology* ; Carotid Artery, Common/physiology* ; Hemodynamics/physiology* ; Vascular Stiffness/physiology* ; Elasticity ; Resistance Training ; Adult

Humans ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent/therapy* ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Cardiac Catheterization/adverse effects* ; Consensus ; Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight ; Hemodynamics

OBJECTIVES: Intracranial aneurysm (IA) has an insidious onset, and once ruptured, it carries high rates of mortality and disability. Cardiometabolic factors may be associated with the formation and rupture of IA. This study aims to summarize the application of Mendelian randomization (MR) methods in research on cardiometabolic factors and IA, providing insights for further elucidation of IA etiology and pathogenesis. METHODS: Literature about MR-based IA studies published up to February 21, 2024, was retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang. Two researchers independently performed literature screening, data extraction, and quality assessment. A narrative synthesis approach was used to conduct a qualitative systematic review of the included studies. RESULTS: A total of 11 MR-based studies on IA published between 2017 to 2024 were included, of which 4 were rated as high quality. These studies investigated the associations between blood pressure, blood lipids, blood glucose, obesity-related indicators, and inflammatory cytokines with IA and its subtypes, though issues of duplication were noted. Four MR studies based on the same European population but using different instrumental variable selection criteria, as well as another MR study in a different European cohort, consistently identified blood pressure as a risk factor for IA and its subtypes. Findings for blood lipids, blood glucose, obesity-related indicators, and inflammatory cytokines were inconsistent across MR studies. CONCLUSIONS Blood pressure appears to increase the risk of IA and its subtypes. Associations between other cardiometabolic factors and IA/subtypes require further in-depth investigation. Given the inherent limitations of MR studies, causal inferences should be made cautiously in combination with other lines of evidence.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Intracranial Aneurysm/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Glucose ; Obesity/complications* ; Cardiometabolic Risk Factors ; Lipids/blood*

OBJECTIVES: The diagnostic value of ultrasonographic quantitative indicators of umbilical cord coiling, such as the umbilical coiling index (UCI) and pitch value, in identifying hypercoiling and predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes remains controversial. This study aims to evaluate the predictive value of UCI, pitch value, and the cerebroplacental ratio in pregnancies complicated by umbilical cord hypercoiling. METHODS: Pregnant women with densely coiled umbilical cords identified by routine obstetric ultrasound at Changsha Maternal and Child Health Hospital between November 2022 and November 2024 were enrolled. Complete clinical data, including UCI, pitch value, and cerebroplacental ratio (CPR), were collected. Pregnancy outcome scores were calculated, and newborns were categorized into the normal outcome group (n=177) and adverse outcome group (n=85), with the latter further subdivided into mild (n=51), moderate (n=19), and severe (n=15) subgroups. Differences in baseline data, UCI, pitch value, and incidence of CRP<1 were compared between groups and among subgroups. Correlations between UCI, pitch value, and adverse pregnancy outcomes were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to assess the predictive performance of UCI, pitch value, CPR<1, and their combinations. RESULTS: Compared with the normal outcome group, the adverse outcome group had higher age, parity, parity, incidence of CPR<1, and UCI, while gestational age at delivery and pitch values were lower (all P<0.05). The incidence of obesity, gestational diabetes mellitus, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (all P>0.05). The normal outcome group showed lower UCI and higher pitch values than all 3 adverse outcome subgroups (all P<0.05), while differences among the 3 adverse subgroups were not significant (all P>0.05). UCI was positively correlated with adverse pregnancy outcomes (r_s=0.350, P<0.05), whereas pitch value was negatively correlated (r_s=-0.286, P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) values for predicting adverse outcomes were 0.837 for UCI, 0.886 for pitch value, and 0.610 for CPR<1, with sensitivities of 77.6%, 82.4%, and 27.1% and specificities of 78.5%, 83.6%, and 94.9%, respectively. The combined UCI+CPR<1 and pitch value+CPR<1 models yielded AUCs of 0.841 and 0.886, with sensitivities of 78.8% and 81.2% and specificities of 78.5% and 84.2%, respectively. No significant differences were found between the AUCs of UCI and pitch value (P>0.05), but both outperformed CPR<1 alone (both P<0.001). The combined models showed no significant improvement over UCI or pitch value alone (both P>0.05), though both were superior to CPR<1 alone (both P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Most umbilical cord hypercoiling cases had favorable outcomes, with UCI, pitch value, CPR<1 and their combinations demonstrating significant predictive value for adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Adult ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal/methods* ; Umbilical Cord/diagnostic imaging* ; Hemodynamics ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Infant, Newborn ; ROC Curve

Objective:To investigate the incidence of collateral circulation in high-risk patients with sleep apnea and stroke treated by continuous positive airway pressure （CPAP） ventilation and to analyze the influencing factors. Methods:A total of 152 patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome （OSAHS） combined with acute ischemic stroke （AIS） who were admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to June 2022 were selected for this study. Based on the apnea-hypopnea index （AHI）, the patients were divided into three groups: mild （n=44）, moderate （n=72）, and severe （n=36）. After treatment, the patients were further classified into a group without collateral circulation （n=30） and a group with collateral circulation （n=26）, which included those with moderate collateral circulation （n=69） and good collateral circulation （n=27）. Clinical data across the different groups were compared, and multiple factor analysis was performed to identify factors affecting the occurrence of collateral circulation. Results:The AHI and IL-6 levels in the severe group were significantly higher than those in the mild and moderate groups, while the levels of NO and PO2 were significantly lower in the severe group compared to the mild and moderate groups, with statistically significant differences among the three groups （P<0.05）. After treatment, all groups showed improvement, and the proportion of patients with collateral circulation was 84.09% in the mild group, 81.94% in the moderate group, and 72.22% in the severe group. Significant differences in age, AHI, NIHSS, NO, MoCA, and MMSE scores were observed between the groups with and without collateral circulation （P<0.05）. In the group with collateral circulation, the scores for age, AHI, and NIHSS in the good collateral circulation subgroup were significantly lower than those in the poor collateral circulation and moderate collateral circulation subgroups, while the scores for NO, MoCA, and MMSE were significantly higher in the good collateral circulation subgroup. Multi-factor analysis revealed that age, AHI, and NIHSS were independent risk factors for collateral circulation, whereas NO, MoCA, and MMSE served as protective factors that were negatively correlated with collateral circulation. Classification tree model results indicated that AHI had the greatest influence on the occurrence of collateral circulation among the five influencing factors, demonstrating good predictive capability. Conclusion:Most high-risk patients with sleep apnea and stroke are likely to develop collateral circulation following continuous positive airway pressure ventilation. Factors such as age, AHI, NIHSS, NO, MoCA, and MMSE are important determinants affecting the occurrence of collateral circulation.
Humans ; Collateral Circulation ; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ; Stroke/physiopathology* ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive/physiopathology* ; Risk Factors ; Male ; Incidence ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes/physiopathology* ; Interleukin-6/blood*

BACKGROUND

Blood pressure is an important vital sign measured not only in hypertension but also among hospitalized patients for clinical evaluation of the actual hemodynamic status. In the digital era, mercury and aneroid sphygmomanometers are being replaced by automated monitors despite lacking validation and recommendations for their use, especially in acute illness.

To compare automated and manual blood pressure measurement among hospitalized medical patients with acute illness.

A crossover design was used in a single tertiary hospital. Blood pressure was recorded from 216 participants, with 432 observations from an automated monitor (Omron HBP1120) and a mercury sphygmomanometer. Automated and manual BP recordings were done twice following the same arm sequential method. The average of the two recordings was used for comparison.

Most participants were female, elderly, obese, and had cardiac complaints. Comparing automated and manual methods, the mean difference for systolic was 1.47 ± 12.12 (p = 0.08) and 1.82 ± 10.99 (p=0.02) for diastolic. Subgroup analysis revealed that males had higher manual systolic BP than females (pairwise p-value= 0.017). Overweight and obese participants had higher automated systolic and diastolic BP (p=0.04). Overweight and obese participants had significantly higher systolic and diastolic BP regardless of the method. Significantly higher diastolic BP for different age groups and areas of admission (p=0.02) were observed from the automated method.

Automated BP monitoring showed a significant difference in diastolic BP recordings. Automated BP monitors should be used with caution, especially in interpreting diastolic BP among hospitalized patients.

BACKGROUND

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a common tool for assessing autonomic nervous system activity and monitoring training load in athletes. However, limited research has explored how HRV responds to different forms of resistance training, particularly in high-intensity intermittent sports like basketball and football.

This study aims to compare the acute HRV responses between neuromuscular and metabolic training in collegiate athletes involved in high-intensity intermittent sports.

A comparative cross-sectional study with a quasi-experimental crossover design will be employed.

Collegiate athletes will be randomly assigned to undergo both neuromuscular and metabolic training sessions with a one-week wash-out period in between. HRV data will be recorded using the Polar H10 chest strap during each session.

Descriptive statistics will summarize salient participant characteristics and HRV measurements. Inferential analysis will use paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests based on normality, assessed via the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. All statistical analyses will be conducted using the IBM SPSS (ver.25) with a confidence interval set. at 95% and a critical α equal to 0.05.

Neuromuscular training is expected to elicit higher low-frequency (LF) power and an increased LF/HF ratio, reflecting greater sympathetic activation, while metabolic training is expected to show lower LF power and a decreased LF/HF ratio, indicating a more balanced autonomic response. These findings will offer insights into the differential autonomic impacts of these training modalities.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Yisui Yangxin moxibustion (moxibustion for benefiting the marrow and nourishing the heart) in sequential trial on blood pressure (BP), perimenopausal symptoms, cardiovascular function and heart rate variability (HRV) in prehypertension in perimenopausal women. METHODS: The eligible female patients of prehypertension of perimenopausal period were collected according to the inclusion criteria. Based on the requirements of open two-way qualitative response sequential trial, the sample size was not set in advance, and the matched pair design was used for random division into a moxibustion group and a health education group. The patients of the two groups were treated in pairs, and the analysis was immediately performed after the end of treatment for each pair, and the sequential trial analysis (STA) was diagrammed. The health education group provided the health education for prehypertension to the patients according to 2018 Revised Chinese Hypertension Prevention and Treatment Guidelines. In the moxibustion group, beside the health education for prehypertension, the non-suppurative moxibustion was delivered at Baihui (GV20), Guanyuan (CV4) and bilateral Neiguan (PC6) and Zusanli (ST36), once every two days, 3 treatments per week and for 4 consecutive weeks. Before treatment, in 2 and 4 weeks of treatment, as well as in 1-month follow-up after treatment, BP was measured in each group, separately. Before treatment and in 4 weeks of treatment, the observation was performed in the score of the modified Kupperman scale, and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) score, the indexes of cardiovascular function (stroke volume [SV], cardiac output per minute [CO], stroke index [SI], cardiac index [CI], left ventricular effective pumping force [VPE], left ventricular energy efficiency [EWK], arterial compliance [AC], left ventricular ejection resistance [VER], blood viscosity (N), and microcirculation half update rate [MHR]), and heart rate variability (HRV) indexes (low frequency [LF], high frequency [HF], LF/HF, standard deviation of NN interval [SDNN], root mean square of successive differences in adjacent NN intervals [RMSSD]). RESULTS: Based on sequential test line, when the trial was performed to the 17th pair, and the test line touched the upper limit U, meaning the results of the moxibustion group was superior to the health education group, thus, the trial stopped immediately. In 2 and 4 weeks of treatment and in follow-up, the systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were lower when compared with those before treatment in the moxibustion group (P<0.05); SBP at each time point and DBP in 2 and 4 weeks of treatment in the moxibustion group were lower than those of the health education group (P<0.05). After treatment, the score of the modified Kupperman scale was reduced when compared with that before treatment in the moxibustion group (P<0.05). The score of the modified Kupperman scale and PSQI in the moxibustion group were lower than those of the health education group after treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, SV, CO, SI, CI and EWK were increased in comparison with the indexes before treatment in the moxibustion group (P<0.05), and VER and N were dropped (P<0.05). After treatment, SV, CO, SI, CI and EWK in the moxibustion group were higher than those of the health education group (P<0.05), and VER and N were lower (P<0.05). After treatment, in the moxibustion group, LF, HF, SDNN and RMSSD were increased in comparison with those before treatment (P<0.05), and LF/HF was declined (P<0.05). In the health education group, after treatment, LF, HF, SDNN and RMSSD decreased when compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, LF, HF, SDNN and RMSSD in the moxibustion group were higher than those of the health education group (P<0.05), and LF/HF was lower (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 94.1% (16/17) in the moxibustion group, higher than that (41.2%, 7/17) in the health education group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Moxibustion can reduce SBP and DBP in prehypertension of perimenopausal women, alleviate perimenopausal symptoms, improve cardiac function and adjust the overall balance of cardiac autonomic nerves.
Humans ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Perimenopause ; Blood Pressure ; Prehypertension/prevention & control* ; Heart Rate ; Acupuncture Points ; Adult