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. 2020 Nov 19;130(2):380–389. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00230.2020

Table 2.

Hemodynamic responses during a progressive ramp and step lower body negative pressure (LBNP) protocols to presyncope

LBNP stage (mmHg)
P values
0 15 30 45 60 LBNP Protocol Interaction PS 1-min P Value
SAP, mmHg
 Ramp 128.5 ± 1.9 127.5 ± 2.6 122.8 ± 1.6* 116.8 ± 1.8* 111.7 ± 3.3* <0.0001 0.01 0.95 95.7 ± 1.4 0.51
 Step 125.4 ± 1.8 124.8 ± 1.8 119.2 ± 2.1* 115.6 ± 1.9* 109.2 ± 2.1* 94.9 ± 1.3
SAP, %Δ
 Ramp −0.8 ± 1.2 −4.3 ± 1.0* −9.8 ± 1.2* −13.2 ± 2.2* <0.0001 0.50 0.79 −25.2 ± 1.6 0.31
 Step −0.4 ± 1.1 −4.9 ± 1.4* −8.0 ± 1.7* −12.7 ± 1.8* −24.0 ± 1.7
DAP, mmHg
 Ramp 73.8 ± 1.3 73.7 ± 1.5 75.1 ± 1.5 74.2 ± 1.7 75.3 ± 2.7 0.66 0.06 0.58 65.0 ± 1.4 0.56
 Step 71.8 ± 1.3 72.7 ± 1.3 72.8 ± 1.5 74.6 ± 1.1 74.8 ± 1.5 65.7 ± 1.4
DAP, %Δ
 Ramp −0.1 ± 1.0 1.8 ± 1.1 −0.5 ± 1.2† 1.4 ± 2.1 0.30 0.04 0.16 −11.7 ± 1.6 0.06
 Step 1.3 ± 0.9 1.4 ± 1.3 3.2 ± 1.4 2.4 ± 1.7 −8.2 ± 2.2
HR, beats/min
 Ramp 59.9 ± 1.5 61.5 ± 1.7 69.1 ± 2.1* 79.0 ± 2.4* 86.6 ± 3.0* <0.0001 <0.0001 0.95 107.2 ± 5.4 0.31
 Step 62.4 ± 1.8 65.6 ± 2.2 73.5 ± 2.8* 83.4 ± 3.5* 91.3 ± 3.1* 111.0 ± 4.7
MAP, mmHg
 Ramp 95.4 ± 1.6 94.7 ± 1.8 93.5 ± 1.5 90.5 ± 1.7* 89.4 ± 2.9* <0.0001 0.02 0.77 76.1 ± 1.3 0.81
 Step 92.8 ± 1.6 92.9 ± 1.6 90.9 ± 1.8 90.4 ± 1.3 87.9 ± 1.5* 76.4 ± 1.3
SV, mL
 Ramp 99.3 ± 4.2 93.3 ± 3.8 79.8 ± 3.0* 66.0 ± 2.8* 55.3 ± 2.9* <0.0001 0.15 0.98 47.4 ± 3.2 0.32
 Step 98.6 ± 3.6 90.7 ± 3.3* 78.0 ± 3.4* 65.0 ± 3.4* 53.2 ± 3.4* 45.1 ± 3.4
Cardiac output, L/min
 Ramp 5.9 ± 0.2 5.7 ± 0.2 5.5 ± 0.2* 5.2 ± 0.2* 4.8 ± 0.3* <0.0001 0.01 0.96 4.8 ± 0.2 0.91
 Step 6.1 ± 0.2 5.9 ± 0.2 5.7 ± 0.2* 5.3 ± 0.3* 4.8 ± 0.3* 4.8 ± 0.3
Cardiac output, %Δ
 Ramp −3.3 ± 1.3 −6.8 ± 1.5* −10.0 ± 2.1* −16.9 ± 2.8* <0.0001 0.22 0.88 −17.8 ± 2.3 0.17
 Step −3.5 ± 1.2 −7.5 ± 1.8* −12.1 ± 2.4* −19.2 ± 2.1* −21.4 ± 2.7
SVR, (mmHg/L*min−1)
 Ramp 16.8 ± 0.9† 17.2 ± 0.8 17.6 ± 0.8 18.0 ± 0.8 19.3 ± 1.1* <0.0001 0.0004 0.71 16.4 ± 0.8 0.70
 Step 15.8 ± 0.6 16.2 ± 0.7 16.6 ± 0.8 17.5 ± 0.9* 18.9 ± 1.2* 16.6 ± 0.8
SVR, %Δ
 Ramp 2.9 ± 1.3 5.7 ± 1.8 5.1 ± 2.5 13.0 ± 3.8* <0.0001 0.03 0.38 −1.4 ± 2.9 0.03
 Step 4.0 ± 1.5 6.7 ± 2.3* 10.9 ± 2.3* 16.7 ± 3.2* 6.9 ± 3.5
SmO2, % (n = 11)
 Ramp 75.0 ± 1.6 74.5 ± 1.7 72.4 ± 2.1 71.2 ± 2.6 71.3 ± 1.3 0.002 0.06 0.86 68.5 ± 2.3 0.75
 Step 76.9 ± 1.5 74.8 ± 2.0 73.3 ± 2.1 73.3 ± 1.4 74.5 ± 1.4 69.4 ± 1.9
SmO2, %Δ (n = 11)
 Ramp −0.7 ± 0.6 −3.5 ± 1.2* −4.8 ± 1.5* −5.6 ± 1.2* <0.0001 0.04 0.64 −8.9 ± 1.7 0.65
 Step −3.0 ± 1.0* −5.0 ± 1.1* −6.2 ± 0.8* −6.3 ± 1.4* −9.9 ± 1.3
Mean MCAv, cm/s
 Ramp 64.4 ± 3.1 64.3 ± 3.4 61.8 ± 3.7 58.3 ± 3.6* 56.2 ± 3.0* <0.0001 0.05 0.90 45.7 ± 2.4 0.09
 Step 64.2 ± 3.4 62.4 ± 3.4 59.7 ± 3.5 56.5 ± 3.2* 52.9 ± 3.3* 42.8 ± 2.2
Mean PCAv, cm/s (n = 11)
 Ramp 40.4 ± 2.0 40.3 ± 2.1 38.8 ± 2.3 37.9 ± 2.8 39.6 ± 1.6* <0.0001 0.41 0.81 33.3 ± 1.7 0.10
 Step 41.2 ± 1.8 39.3 ± 2.2 38.4 ± 2.8 37.5 ± 3.4* 37.5 ± 2.2* 30.5 ± 2.0
ScO2, %
 Ramp 67.7 ± 1.4 66.8 ± 1.5 66.2 ± 1.5 65.6 ± 1.7 66.1 ± 1.8 <0.0001 0.003 0.50 63.0 ± 1.5 0.16
 Step 67.5 ± 1.6 66.1 ± 1.8 64.9 ± 1.7* 63.6 ± 2.0* 63.7 ± 2.5* 60.3 ± 2.4
Oxyhemoglobin, µM
 Ramp 34.3 ± 2.4 33.4 ± 2.4 32.9 ± 2.4 33.0 ± 2.7 34.4 ± 4.0 0.02 0.34 0.76 30.8 ± 2.3 0.49
 Step 34.8 ± 3.0 33.5 ± 3.0 32.4 ± 2.9 31.9 ± 3.1 32.7 ± 4.4* 29.8 ± 2.8
Deoxyhemoglobin, µM
 Ramp 16.0 ± 1.1 16.3 ± 1.1 16.5 ± 1.1 16.9 ± 1.2 17.1 ± 1.8 0.01 0.09 0.91 17.7 ± 1.1 0.36
 Step 16.2 ± 1.5 16.5 ± 1.5 16.9 ± 1.5 17.6 ± 1.7 17.6 ± 2.6 18.2 ± 1.6
Respiratory rate, breaths/min
 Ramp 13 ± 1 12 ± 1 12 ± 1 12 ± 1 12 ± 1 0.96 0.19 0.38 14 ± 2 0.62
 Step 12 ± 1 12 ± 1 12 ± 1 11 ± 1 12 ± 1 15 ± 2
etCO2, mmHg
 Ramp 41.8 ± 1.1 40.9 ± 1.1 39.2 ± 1.2 37.6 ± 1.6* 38.1 ± 1.8* <0.0001 0.27 0.46 30.0 ± 1.9 0.22
 Step 42.6 ± 1.0 40.9 ± 1.1 39.1 ± 1.4 36.7 ± 1.9* 34.9 ± 2.1* 28.3 ± 1.6
etCO2, %Δ
 Ramp −2.3 ± 0.9 −6.2 ± 1.5* −10.0 ± 2.6* −12.1 ± 2.6* <0.0001 0.006 0.45 −28.3 ± 4.0 0.03
 Step −4.0 ± 1.2 −8.6 ± 1.8* −13.5 ± 3.3* −18.2 ± 4.2* −33.7 ± 3.4

Data are presented as absolute and relative means ± SE. *P ≤ 0.09 compared with baseline within a group. †P ≤ 0.05 differences between protocols. n = number of subjects. SAP, systolic arterial pressure; DAP, diastolic arterial pressure; etCO2, end tidal carbon dioxide; MAP, mean arterial pressure; MCAv, middle cerebral artery velocity; ScO2, cerebral oxygen saturation; SmO2, muscle oxygen saturation; SV, stroke volume; SVR, systemic vascular resistance. PS-1 time point refers to the 1 min prior to presyncope.