Cerebrovascular carbon dioxide reactivity and flow mediated dilation in young healthy South Asian and Caucasian European men

South Asians living in the United Kingdom have a 1.5-fold greater risk of ischemic stroke than the general population. Impaired cerebrovascular carbon dioxide (CO2) reactivity is an independent predictor of ischemic stroke and cardiovascular mortality. We sought to test the hypothesis that cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity is reduced in South Asians. Middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCA Vm) was measured at rest and during stepwise changes in end-tidal partial pressure of CO2 (PETCO2) in South Asian (n = 16) and Caucasian European (n = 18) men who were young (~20 yr), healthy, and living in the United Kingdom. Incremental hypercapnia was delivered via the open-circuit steady-state method, with stages of 4 and 7% CO2 ( approximately 21% oxygen, nitrogen balanced). Cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity was calculated as the change in MCA Vm relative to the change in PETCO2. MCA Vm was not different in South Asians [59 (9) cm/s, mean (standard deviation)] and Caucasian Europeans [61 (12) cm/s; P > 0.05]. Similarly, cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity was not different between the groups [South Asian 2.53 (0.76) vs. Caucasian European 2.61 (0.81) cm.s(-1).mmHg(-1); P > 0.05]. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation was lower in South Asians [5.48 (2.94)%] compared with Caucasian Europeans [7.41 (2.28)%; P 0.05). Flow-mediated dilation was not correlated with cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity measures. In summary, cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity and flow-mediated dilation corrected for shear rate are preserved in young healthy South Asian men living in the United Kingdom.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Previous reports have identified an increased risk of ischemic stroke and peripheral endothelial dysfunction in South Asians compared with Caucasian Europeans. The main finding of this study is that cerebrovascular carbon dioxide reactivity (an independent predictor of ischemic stroke) is not different in healthy young South Asian and Caucasian European men.