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Biomedical subjects

F Galetta

Publications and source records attributed to F Galetta.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Circadian changes of ambulatory blood pressure in an unselected population.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring does not interfere with the night-time blood pressure and heart rate reduction, typical haemodynamic effects of sleep. An unselected population of 186 subjects was split into quartiles by age to assess the age related changes in 24-h blood pressure profile. From ambulatory blood pressure monitoring data we calculated day-time and night-time blood pressure and heart rate average values, as well as their percent difference. Results show that there is no difference with regard to nocturnal heart rate reduction (on average, 15%) between age groups or sexes, whereas nocturnal blood pressure reduction (on average, 10%) is significantly lower in elderly males, but not females, when compared with young people. This flat 24-h blood pressure profile is associated with hypertension. Circadian changes of ambulatory blood pressure are very different in elderly hypertensive men and provide a marker of diffuse arterial damage.

Journal Article↗

Ambulatory blood pressure pattern in elderly athletes.

Indications with respect to parasympathetic nervous activity in vivo can be obtained only by means of indirect parameters. Ten elderly athletes were compared to 10 sedentary healthy peers, in order to evaluate blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) circadian change and variability, as assessed by ambulatory 24-h non-invasive monitoring. Such comparison proved that the elderly athletes have a significantly lower value in: systolic 24-h BP; systolic and diastolic 24-h BP variability; systolic and diastolic day-time BP variability; systolic night-time BP variability; 24-h, day-time and night-time mean HR, as well as HR variability. Prolonged physical training improves, therefore, the parasympathetic control on the cardiovascular system in the elderly, which causes a low BP, HR, and a low related variability. Regular exercise induces a shift in the sympathetic: parasympathetic tone ratio towards a stronger parasympathetic influence. Such a neurovegetative tone seems to confer juvenile characteristics to the cardiovascular system of elderly athletes.

Journal Article↗