Impaired autonomic function occurs after AMI (acute myocardial infarction) and UA (unstable angina), which may be important prognostically. However, the pattern of sympathetic nerve hyperactivity has been investigated only after AMI. We aimed to quantify central sympathetic output to the periphery in patients with UA, investigate its progress over time relative to that after uncomplicated AMI and to explore the mechanisms involved. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) assessed from multiunit discharges and from single units (s-MSNA) was obtained in matched patients with UA (n=9), AMI (n=14) and stable CAD (coronary artery disease, n=11), patients with chest pain in which AMI was excluded (NMI, n=9) and normal controls (NCs, n=14). Measurements were obtained 2–4 days after UA or AMI, and repeated at 3 monthly intervals until they returned to normal levels. The respective MSNA and s-MSNA early after UA (72±4.0 bursts/100 beats and 78±4.2 impulses/100 beats respectively) were less than those after AMI (83±4.4 bursts/100 beats and 93±5.5 impulses/100 beats respectively). Relative to the control groups of NCs (51±2.7 bursts/100 beats and 58±3.4 impulses/100 beats respectively) and patients with CAD (54±3.7 bursts/100 beats and 58±3.9 impulses/100 beats respectively) and NMI (52±4.5 bursts/100 beats and 59±4.9 impulses/100 beats respectively), values returned to normal after 6 months in UA (55±5.0 bursts/100 beats and 62±5.5 impulses/100 beats respectively) and 9 months after AMI (60±3.8 bursts/100 beats and 66±4.2 impulses/100 beats respectively). In conclusion, both UA and AMI result in sympathetic hyper-activity, although this is of smaller magnitude in UA and is less protracted than in AMI. It is suggested that this hyperactivity is related to the degree of left ventricular dysfunction and reflexes.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Research Article|
June 01 2004
Sympathetic neural hyperactivity and its normalization following unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction
Lee N. GRAHAM;
1Department of Cardiology, St James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, U.K.
Correspondence: Dr Lee N. Graham ([email protected]).
Search for other works by this author on:
Paul A. SMITH;
Paul A. SMITH
1Department of Cardiology, St James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, U.K.
Search for other works by this author on:
John B. STOKER;
John B. STOKER
1Department of Cardiology, St James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, U.K.
Search for other works by this author on:
Alan F. MACKINTOSH;
Alan F. MACKINTOSH
1Department of Cardiology, St James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, U.K.
Search for other works by this author on:
David A. MARY
David A. MARY
1Department of Cardiology, St James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, U.K.
Search for other works by this author on:
Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
November 17 2003
Revision Received:
December 23 2003
Accepted:
February 03 2004
Accepted Manuscript online:
February 03 2004
Online ISSN: 1470-8736
Print ISSN: 0143-5221
© 2004 The Biochemical Society
2004
Clin Sci (Lond) (2004) 106 (6): 605–611.
Article history
Received:
November 17 2003
Revision Received:
December 23 2003
Accepted:
February 03 2004
Accepted Manuscript online:
February 03 2004
Citation
Lee N. GRAHAM, Paul A. SMITH, John B. STOKER, Alan F. MACKINTOSH, David A. MARY; Sympathetic neural hyperactivity and its normalization following unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction. Clin Sci (Lond) 1 June 2004; 106 (6): 605–611. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20030376
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign in to your personal account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Biochemical Society Member Sign in
Sign InSign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionGet Access To This Article
Open Access for all
We offer compliant routes for all authors from 2025. With library support, there will be no author nor reader charges in 5 journals. Check here |
![]() |