Correlation of cold pressor response with coronary atherosclerosis and left ventricular performance

A comparison of cold pressor response with coronary arteriography and left ventriculography was made in 26 consecutive patients having chest pain suggesting coronary heart disease. Patients with normal coronary arteriograms and normal left ventriculograms showed normal cold pressor responses. Patients with coronary atherosclerosis and normal left ventricular performance showed an exaggerated cold pressor response, whereas patients with severe coronary atherosclerosis and poor left ventricular performance did not exhibit an exaggerated cold pressor response. In patients with inferior wall myocardial infarction having dyskinesia or akinesia of the inferior wall, the cold pressor response was not impaired. In contrast, patients with anterior wall myocardial infarction and dyskinesia or akinesia of the anterior wall showed a marked impairment of the left ventricular performance and no exaggeration of the cold pressor response.