Age-related circadian variations of cardiac and respiratory components of the carotid baroreflex in humans

Our previous studies indicated the presence of a respiratory effector of carotid baroreceptor activation: the respiratory resistance. A brief decrease in respiratory resistance was observed in response to carotid baroreceptor activation. In the course of aging we found a decrease in the heart response to carotid baroreceptor activation and disappearance of the respiratory response. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the circadian variations of baroreflex sensitivity, as related to aging, are attributable to changes in cardiovascular and respiratory control in the elderly. We evaluated the cardiac responses and the reflex changes of the respiratory resistance to carotid baroreceptor activation every two hours in: 12 healthy male subjects aged 20-38 years, 6 male subjects aged 20-38 years and 6 male subjects aged 70-80 years. Two neck-chambers were used to produce a brief suction, applied to carotid sinus regions, activating the carotid baroreceptor. We found that the circadian courses of the cardiac and respiratory responses to baroreceptor activation were shifted down in the older groups of subjects, as compared with the younger ones. In the 50-80-year old subjects no respiratory response to carotid baroreceptor stimulation was observed. We further found that the impaired carotid baroreflex control of heart function and of respiratory resistance, observed in older subjects, reached a minimum between 3.00 and 7.00 hours in the morning. We conclude that this period is a risk time for the occurrence of cardiac disorders, especially for cardiac arrhythmias, and it is also the time of impaired reflex control of respiratory resistance.