Analysis of beat-to-beat blood pressure variability response to the cold pressor test in the offspring of hypertensive and normotensive parents

Abnormal autonomic nervous regulation has an important role in the development of hypertension. As to whether blood pressure (BP) or BP variability represents the proper characteristics for predisposition to hypertension in Chinese young adults remains controversial. We studied the properties of the indices extracted from beat-to-beat BP during a 13 min cold pressor test (CPT). In this study, 69 Chinese young adults including 34 offspring of hypertensive parents (OHPs; 25.6±2.5 years) and 35 offspring of normotensive parents (ONPs; 25.3±2.3 years) were analyzed. We assessed the differences between the two groups regarding mean beat-to-beat BP and variability indices. Beat-to-beat BP variability indices included time-domain indices and frequency-domain indices. Our results showed that the differences in beat-to-beat systolic BP and mean BP levels between the OHPs and the ONPs were statistically significant (P