title: Cardiovascular responses to heat stress in chronic heart failure.
abstract: Clinical reports have suggested that patients with heart diseases may be particularly vulnerable to heat injury. This review examines the effects of heat stress on cardiovascular and autonomic functions in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Laboratory investigations have shown that cutaneous vasodilator responses to heating are impaired in patients, whereas activation of skin sympathetic nerve activation is not attenuated in CHF as compared to controls. Attenuated cutaneous vasodilation may increase the risk of a heat related illness when CHF subjects are exposed to hyperthermic conditions.
authors.affiliation: Penn State Hershey Heart and Vascular Institute, H047, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA, jcui@hmc.psu.edu.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Lawrence I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Sinoway
mesh_terms: D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018869:Heat-Shock Response / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply / Q000294:innervation; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology