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Author Spotlight: A Pharmacodissection Approach to Uncover Mechanisms in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Populations
Published on: July 21, 2023
Effects of face cooling on pulse waveform and sympathetic activity in hypertensive subjects
Eliza Prodel1, Thales C Barbosa1, Daniel E Mansur1
1Laboratory of Exercise Sciences, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
Abstract:
Adverse cardiovascular events occur more frequently during cold weather. To test the hypothesis that cold exposure would lead to increased sympathetic activity and impaired hemodynamic control, we measured muscle sympathetic nerve activity and hemodynamic parameters in nine men with hypertension before and during trigeminal stimulation and facial cooling. The procedure increased blood pressure (p < 0.01), aortic hemodynamic parameters (p < 0.01), and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (p < 0.05). These results suggest that sympathetic activation during cold exposure in hypertensive subjects may increase the risk of cardiovascular events during cold weather.
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