Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 24, 2025
09:16
An Alternative to the Traditional Cold Pressor Test: The Cold Pressor Arm Wrap
Published on: January 16, 2014
14.7K
An Interesting Case of a Cold Left Arm
Laura Hmiel1,2, Attila Nemeth2
1Internal Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, USA.
Cureus
|December 23, 2020
Summary
Blood pressure differences between arms can indicate arterial disease. Left subclavian artery thrombosis can compromise internal mammary artery flow, causing ischemic ventricular tachycardia.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Vascular Surgery
- Interventional Cardiology
Background:
- Inter-arm blood pressure variability suggests arterial disease proximal to the brachial artery.
- Differential diagnoses include thoracic aortic dissection, atherosclerosis, thoracic outlet syndrome, and subclavian artery stenosis or thrombosis.
- In patients with prior coronary artery bypass grafting using the internal mammary artery, these conditions can compromise coronary blood flow, leading to myocardial ischemia.
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