Post-operative pressure lability and cardiac baroreflex in normotensive patients as a function of age

Background: Pressure lability may be linked to the loss of the cardiac baroreflex. The reduction of the sensitivity of the cardiac baroreflex has not been delineated in the post‐operative period according to age in normotensive patients. This study addresses pressure lability and slope of the cardiac baroreflex as a function of age. Methods: Patients were allocated to the following three groups: young (20–39 years, n=7), middle aged (40–59 years, n=7) and elderly (60–79 years, n=6), and studied before minor intra‐abdominal surgery under CO2 peritoneal insufflation and nitrous oxide–isoflurane–sufentanil anesthesia, up to 24 h after extubation. An electrocardiogram and non‐invasive beat‐by‐beat pressure monitoring (Finapres®) allowed offline calculation of the sensitivity of the cardiac baroreflex (‘sequence’ technique) and standard deviation (SD) of heart rate (HR; HR variability) and systolic blood pressure (SBP; pressure lability). Results: Before anesthesia, (a) an inverse relationship was observed between the slope of the cardiac baroreflex and age and (b) a trend (P