Study of the changes of metaboreflex in aged voluntaries and patients with heart failure

• Grant number: 11/03591-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2011
• End date: May 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Marcus Vinicius Simões
• Grantee: Marcus Vinicius Simões
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Lourenço Gallo Junior

Abstract

Heart failure presents a close relationship with the aging and its symptoms may be related to the cardiac pump insuficiency as well to the abnormalities of the skeletal muscles. The assessment of the metaboreflex is a valid tool to investigate the origin of the fatigue and dyspneia in these patients, and can indentify the participation of the muscle changes. In adition, the aging process may also lead to changes in the muscles that may contribute to the functional capacity reduction in the absence of heart disease. However, there is no information about the potential participation of the metaboreflex in determining the functional capacity reduction in the elderly. At this way, the characterization of these pathophysiologic mechanisms in the elderly may be an important issue to recognize the abnormalities in the elderly with heart failure.This study is inserted in this scenario, and it aims at characterizing the metaboreflex in health young and old people in comparison to patients with heart failure. The groups to be investigated will be: 20 healthy adults aged 18-40 years, 20 old healthy people aged above 65 year sand 20 patients with symptomatic heart failure (NYHA functional class II-III). All subjects will be submitted to metaboreflex evaluation, cardiopulmonar test and endothelial function assessment. (AU)