Cold and ischaemic heart disease.
As part of a comprehensive program, including an exercise test, a long-term ECG recording, a psychic stress test, and administration of nitrogylcerin, 268 patients with an acute myocardial infarction (AMT) were submitted to a cold pressor test, holding the right hand in ice water for 10 minutes. Electrocardiogram (ECG), blood pressure (BP), and heart rate (HR) were determined before and at 2 minutes intervals during cold exposure. The patients were followed for one year for re AMI, no AMI, and death, sudden (SD) or not sudden (OSD). Patients with SD showed a significantly higher rise in diastolic BP than those with no AMI (0.001 < P < 0.01) or OSD (0.01 < P < 0.05). HR increased more in SD than in no AMI patients (0.001 < P < 0.01). Different physiological and metabolic reactions to cold exposure will be discussed.
Johansson
B
B
University of Lund, Heart Clinic, University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.
D000368:Aged; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality*; D011379:Prognosis; D012621:Seasons; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology