Autonomic function tests as related to age and gender in normal man

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Abstract
Summary To obtain a comparative assessment of 5 different clinical autonomic function tests as related to age and gender in normal man, the beat-to-beat variation during deep breathing (BBV), orthostatic 30/15 R-R ratio, heart rate response to the Valsalva manoeuvre, blood pressure response to sustained handgrip and orthostatic blood pressure response were evaluated in 120 healthy subjects (60 women and 60 men) aged 22 to 92 yrs. Each of the functional parameters depending on cardiac parasympathetic integrity, i.e. the beat-to-beat variation, orthostatic 30/15 R-R ratio and Valsalva ratio, decreased (PPPr=0.56 to 0.63) than any of these tests with the Valsalva ratio (r=0.51). The findings indicate that consideration of age may improve the diagnostic value of the orthostatic 30/15 R-R ratio. Beat-to-beat variation expressed as exspiration/inspiration ratio may serve as a simple, complementary test of parasympathetic cardiac integrity, and the handgrip test as a sympathetic screening procedure which is also applicable in the geriatric age group.