| Abstrakt: |
Epidemiological evidence suggests that some nutrients, like sodium and potassium, participate in age-related hypertension. A role for refined carbohydrates (CHO), principally sugar, in blood pressure regulation is not generally recognized. This may be unfortunate, since modern lifestyle is associated with large amounts of dietary refined CHO. We examined the effect of a high sugar diet on systolic blood pressure (SBP) in Fischer 344 rats (F344) and the F1-hybrid of this strain (F344/BN). These genotypes have been used to develop experimental models for studies on different aspects of aging. Age-dependent hypertension has not been reported in either strain. In fact, insensitivity to salt-induced hypertension has been found in F344 rats. Upon arrival at our laboratory, the mean difference in SBP between the youngest (4 months) and oldest (18 months) F344 and F1-hybrid rats was 10 mm Hg, the highest mean SBP was 123 mm Hg. These values remained relatively constant over the next month when both strains consumed a low sugar diet. Differently, a steady increase in SBP occurred in both strains when rats of all ages were fed a diet high in sucrose content, mean SBP increasing to over 170 mm Hg at termination of study. Older rats proved more sensitive initially to sugar-induced SBP elevations. Associated with rising SBP was evidence of Na retention. We conclude that a diet containing excess sugar can create a gradual elevation of SBP into a hypertensive range with aging of F344 and F1-hybrid rats. This contrasts with previous findings. |
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