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Updated: Sep 28, 2026
An Alternative to the Traditional Cold Pressor Test: The Cold Pressor Arm Wrap
Published on: January 16, 2014
Cardiovascular reactivity patterns elicited by the cold pressor test as a function of aging
Hugo W Huisman1, Johannes M Van Rooyen, Nicolaas T Malan
1Department of Physiology, Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, South Africa. flghwh@puknet.puk.ac.za
Background And Aims:
The cold pressor test has been widely used in previous cardiovascular reactivity studies as a predictor of hypertension. However, the influence of the physical adaptations of the arterial wall with increasing age on reactivity has not been delineated.
Methods:
64 men divided into 5 different age groups participated in a laboratory protocol consisting of submerging one hand in ice water for one minute while changes in blood pressure were continuously measured.
Results:
The results indicated that with increasing age, the systolic blood pressure change, especially the rate of change (slope) is more pronounced than changes in diastolic blood pressure.
Conclusions:
With increasing age, there is a shift from a diastolic blood pressure reactivity pattern to a more systolic blood pressure reactivity pattern during application of the cold pressor test. This could be ascribed to a decrease in arterial compliance.
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