[Studies on peripheral circulatory regulation in heart diseases]

The quantitative use of palm temperature changes during a fixed-load treadmill exercise was evaluated in normal subjects as well as patients with various degrees of cardiac disability. Treadmill exercise revealed the discriminatory temperature pattern among subject groups. Normal subjects showed an initial transient decrease, then leveling off, followed by a prompt return to the control level after cessation of exercise. The cardiacs with severe disability showed a progressive decrease during and even after exercise, and the return towards the control level was delayed. Less severe cardiacs showed an intermediate pattern. A significant correlation was observed between the temperature pattern and the plasma catecholamine concentration. The simultaneous measurement of forearm and hand blood flow, and temperature of the palm during supine ergometer exercise showed that the temperature change was the reflection of the blood flow changes. In conclusion, palm temperature monitoring during treadmill exercise is a simple and useful method for assessment of vasoconstrictor response to exercise and therefore the pattern of temperature changes indicates indirectly the exercise capacity in heart disease.