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.