Baroreceptor reflex response in paraplegia during head-up tilt position.

Paraplegia is one of the most common spinal cord lesions seen in spinal cord injury patients below 4th thoracic vertebra and is associated with autonomic loss below the level of lesion with intact vagal cardiac nerves. It occurs due to lesion of spinal cord at an appropriate level. i.e., sparing superior extremities and involving inferior extremities. The common causes of paraplegia are accidents such as gunshot injuries, spinal cord injuries, autonomic injuries and dislocation of spine. The degree of cardiovascular control impairment is related to the level and severity of the lesion. This study was to investigate the autonomic control of cardio vascular functions in paraplegia patients in response to head up tilt following spinal cord injury. The parameter studies were in head up tilt response on resting heart rate and blood pressure changes in paraplegic subjects. The results show an abnormal response to head – up tilt in paraplegia patients with decrease in diastolic blood pressure but the heart rate showed normal response. Thus, in patients of paraplegia, sympathetic reflexes below the level of the lesion induce vasoconstriction. These results indicate that increased sympathetic activity in controls during Head up tilt and decreased sympathetic activity in paraplegia. This suggests that patients with paraplegia maintain cardiovascular homeostasis during Head up tilt without increase in sympathetic activity.

Central obesity and lipid profile in North Indian Males.

Obesity is a known risk factor for metabolic syndrome in adults. Metabolic syndrome includes a group of cardiovascular disease risk factors namely impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidaemia and hypertension. Central fat distribution, particularly intra-abdominal fat, is a greater risk factor than peripheral fat distribution. Anthropometric indices used to measure fat distribution have been shown to be associated with altered lipid profile. The objective of the present study was to compare the serum lipid profile levels in obese and non-obese males according to their Waist Circumference (WC) and Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR). A total of 60 males (aged 18-56 years, Mean age 31.00+11.81 years) were included in the study. WC and Hip Circumference (HC) were measured and WHR was calculated. An overnight fasting venous blood sample was drawn for lipid profile. Central obesity was defined as WC > 90 cm or WHR > 0.9. When compared according to WC and WHR, High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) was significantly decreased in obese compared to non-obese, while no significant change in Total Cholesterol (TC), Triglycerides (TG) and Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) levels was observed. Both WC and WHR were positively correlated with TG, TC and LDL-C and negatively with HDL-C. The correlations with HDL-C were statistically significant. Thus, it can be concluded from our study that obesity measured either as WC or WHR is associated with altered lipid profile in the form of low HDL-C. In obese individuals the accompanying hyperinsulinaemia due to insulin resistance may be responsible for changes in lipid and lipoprotein concentration.