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Cardiovascular reactivity in isometric exercise and mental arithmetic in children
H A Verhaaren1, R M Schieken, P Schwartz
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Gent, Belgium.
Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|January 1, 1994
Summary
Children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Human Physiology
- Stress Response Research
Background:
- Understanding pediatric cardiovascular responses to stress is crucial for assessing health.
- Noninvasive methods allow for repeated assessments of cardiovascular function in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare cardiovascular stress responses (systolic blood pressure, heart rate, stroke volume) in children under isometric handgrip and mental arithmetic.
- To determine sex-based differences in these responses.
- To explore relationships between anthropometric variables and cardiovascular stress responses.
Main Methods:
- Noninvasive monitoring of systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), and stroke volume (SV) in children.
- Application of two distinct stress tests: isometric handgrip (IHG) and mental arithmetic.
- Analysis of cardiovascular changes over the stress period and correlation with anthropometric data.
Main Results:
- Stroke volume (SV) significantly differed between IHG and mental arithmetic, potentially due to higher systemic vascular resistance during IHG.
- Boys exhibited lower heart rate (HR) than girls across both stress conditions.
- Left ventricular mass correlated positively with higher SVs; significant relationships were observed between HR and SBP, and HR and SV.
Conclusions:
- Cardiovascular stress responses in children vary between different types of stressors.
- Sex differences in heart rate responses to stress are present in children.
- Anthropometric factors, particularly left ventricular mass, influence stroke volume responses to stress.