ARTERIAL BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY ASSESSED FROM PHASE-IV OF THE VALSALVA MANEUVER

To assess the feasibility of 2 noninvasive methods for arterial barore flex sensitivity testing based on phase IV of the Valsalva maneuver, t he performance of a simple arterial baroreflex sensitivity index compa red with a slope method and reproducibility of repeated measurements o f either parameter were evaluated in 36 subjects without structural he art disease. The study showed feasibility and reproducibility of both these methods for arterial baroreflex sensitivity assessment and demon strated the importance of an appropriate rest period between repeated Valsalva maneuvers, giving a basis for prospective testing of noninvas ive determination of arterial baroreflex sensitivity together with phe nylephrine method in survivors of myocardial infarction.