Wave reflection augments central systolic and pulse pressures during facial cooling

摘要

We have demonstrated (11) that full-body cold exposure for 30 min at 4癈 increased aortic augmentation index (Al), a measure of wave reflection, leading to augmented central systolic pressure, indicating that cold-induced increases in arterial stiffness and wave reflection may be an important underlying mechanism explaining the high prevalence of cardiovascular events in cold environments. Facial cooling results in sympathetic activation, vasoconstriction, and increased systolic and diastolic peripheral blood pressure (5, 18, 20) similar to whole body cooling in a cold environment. Facial cooling may be a more appropriate model to examine the effects of cold-induced sympathetic activation on vascular function given that individuals are typically properly clothed in cold weather and cold exposure is restricted to smaller body regions such as the face.