Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40597238›Full record

ArticleBMC medicine2025

Sympathetic reactivity to physiological stress is associated with expanded cardiac extracellular volume in humans.

Hazel C Blythe, Zoe H Adams, Katrina A Hope, Richard P Baker, Melanie J Hezzell, M Saadeh Suleiman, Ana Paula Abdala Sheikh, Nathan Manghat, Konstantina Mitrousi, Angus K Nightingale and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Hazel C BlytheSchool of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK. hazel.blythe@bristol.ac.uk.
Zoe H AdamsSchool of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
Katrina A HopeSchool of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
Richard P BakerSchool of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
Melanie J HezzellBristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
M Saadeh SuleimanBristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Ana Paula Abdala SheikhSchool of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
Nathan ManghatBristol Heart Institute, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK.
Konstantina MitrousiBristol Heart Institute, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK.
Angus K Nightingale *School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
Emma C Hart *School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.

Funding

British Heart Foundation FS/17/60/33474
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExpanded extracellular volume (ECV) is an early marker of myocardial interstitial fibrosis in patients with hypertension. Animal studies suggest that surges in sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) might contribute more to the development of interstitial fibrosis than the resting level of SNA. The aim of this study was to investigate whether resting SNA or greater SNA reactivity to a stressor may be associated with expanded ECV in humans across a range of blood pressures.

methodsThis was a cross-sectional study in 19 individuals with varying levels of ambulatory systolic blood pressure (111-153 mmHg, 48 ± 13 years, 26.5 ± 2.6 kg/m

resultsResting MSNA was not associated with cardiac ECV (B coefficient = - 0.07, 95% CI (- 0.24-0.10), P = 0.549), but SNA reactivity to the cold pressor test was a predictor of ECV independent of daytime systolic blood pressure (B coefficient = 0.12, 95% CI (0.05-0.20), P = 0.007). We determined associations between ECV and MSNA variables using liner regressions, with ECV as the dependent variable.

conclusionsOur findings show that SNA responses to physiological stress were predictive of ECV, whereas resting SNA was not, independent of the level of blood pressure. Thus, surges in SNA during stress might be more important in cardiac remodelling than overall resting levels of SNA. Further studies should test this hypothesis in larger cohorts.

Indexed as

HeartHypertensionStress, PhysiologicalSympathetic Nervous SystemAdultBlood PressureCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHeart RateHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedCardiac fibrosisExtracellular volumeStressorSympathetic nerve activity

Identifiers

PMID40597238
PMCPMC12220307

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.