COMPARISON OF COLD PRESSOR TEST IN CHILDREN OF HYPERTENSIVE AND NON HYPERTENSIVE PARENTS

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Early diagnosis of hypertension risk may enable a person to live a healthier lifestyle. Subjects with predisposing characteristics for hypertension had greater and longer-lasting blood pressure responses to stress. The Present study was conducted to examine the blood pressure response to cold pressor test in the medical students of hypertensive parents and compare it with the controls of normotensive parents
MATERIALS AND METHOD: 100 I MBBS students in the age group of 17-21 years participated in the study. Students were divided into 2 groups; Group I-normotensive group (50) with no family h/o hypertension and Group II-hypertensive group (50) with family h/o hypertensionBefore the test, subjects were allowed to rest for 10 minutes in a quiet room to reduce the anxiety. Basal blood pressure of all the subjects was measured. Cold pressor test was done in both the study group and control groups. After recording basal blood pressure, subjects were asked to dip left arm in the cold water (temp at 2-40 C) for 2 minutes and blood pressure was recorded from the right arm. Blood pressure was again recorded 5 minutes after hand was taken out from the cold water. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software version 21.
RESULTS: On comparison of means of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure among both the groups, it was observed that the value of systolic blood pressure& diastolic blood pressure was higher in hypertensive group as compared to normotensive group. The rise in systolic and diastolic blood pressure during cold pressor test and 5 min after CPT was significantly higher in children of hypertensive group when compared to the children of normotensives. Diastolic blood pressure in children of hypertensive groupdid not return to normal levels even 5 minutes after withdrawal of the stimulus
CONCLUSION: Children of hypertensive parents who exhibit increased and especially extended response to diastolic blood pressure due to sympathetic stimulation via the cold pressor test may be at a high risk of developing hypertension early in life. Early detection of hypertension in the children of hypertensive parents is of prime importance as lifestyle modification can be started at an early age and cardiovascular risk can be avoided. Routine screening must be performed to detect asymptomatic hypertension amongst adolescents with the family history of hypertension.