Peripheral adrenergic function is important in the maintenance of postural normotension. It may be impaired in peripheral neuropathies, and this may be manifested as alterations in acral temperature, color, or sweating. Simple, accurate, and reproducible tests of peripheral adrenergic function are now routinely used in clinical autonomic laboratories. For noninvasive evaluation of autonomic function, tests of peripheral adrenergic function can be used to separately evaluate the vagal and adrenergic components of baroreflex sensitivity. The vagal component is derived from the heart period response to blood pressure change and the adrenergic component by the blood pressure recovery time in response to the preceding fall in blood pressure, induced by the Valsalva maneuver.This chapter describes methods used to determine peripheral adrenergic function and their value and shortcomings.
Blood Pressure Change After Celery Juice Ingestion in a Hypertensive Elderly Male
