Blood pressure and heart rate responses in men exposed to arm and leg cold pressor tests and whole-body cold exposure

OBJECTIVES: Comparison of the effects of different types of cold exposure on blood pressure and heart rate. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. METHODS: Twenty healthy men were exposed to three different types of cold exposure: cold pressor tests for hands and feet, and a 2-h cold air exposure at an ambient temperature of +10 degrees C. RESULTS: All types of cold exposure caused a rise in systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Heart rate increased in the foot cold pressor test. In the cold chamber test, heart rate fell, causing a decrease in the rate:pressure product. No statistically significant correlations were found between the blood pressure responses to cold pressor and cold chamber tests. The increased rate:pressure product observed in the cold pressor tests is indicative of an increased oxygen consumption in the heart muscle. CONCLUSIONS: The measured cardiovascular responses indicate that a sudden local exposure to severe cold would be more stressful than a long lasting, milder exposure to cold, even when the latter is applied to the whole body