[Significance of cold pressor on identifying individuals susceptible to primary hypertension]

Abstract

133 students, 74 males and 59 females, aged from 6 to 13 years, were given cold pressor test. When cold stimulation was performed, the increased systolic pressures in the hypertensive group, borderline hypertensive group, family hypertensive history group, obese group, and control group were 3.56 +/- 1.34, 2.62 +/- 1.11, 2.59 +/- 1.17, 2.50 +/- 0.97, and 2.19 +/- 0.78 (Kpa) respectively, and the increased diastolic pressures were 4.11 +/- 1.38, 3.25 +/- 1.26, 2.86 +/- 1.32, 3.35 +/- 1.25, and 2.98 +/- 1.04 (Kpa) respectively. The positive percentage were 71%, 31%, 31%, 38%, and 10% respectively. The positive percentage and the increment extent of systolic and diastolic pressure during cold pressor test in the hypertensive group were much more higher than those in the control group (P less than 0.001). Similarly, the positive percentages of cold pressor test, in the borderline hypertensive group, family hypertensive history and obese groups were also higher than those in the control group (P less than 0.05). These results suggest that cold pressor test may be significant for identifying susceptible children to primary hypertension.