Effect of psychosocial stress and age on plasma norepinephrine levels : a review

Forearm venous plasma norepinephrine and muscle sympathetic nerve activity, which are closely correlated, both increase with age. Recent studies have shown that the increase in plasma norepinephrine with aging is confined to long-term cigarette smokers, whereas values in elderly nonsmokers or young smokers were not different from values obtained in young nonsmokers. The mechanism of the increase in plasma norepinephrine in long-term smokers has not been clarified, but cardiac output and plasma volume were not different in smokers and nonsmokers. In patients who have or have had a duodenal ulcer, the increase in plasma norepinephrine with age is markedly increased. These patients tend to die prematurely because of smoking-associated diseases