Association Between Maximal Oxygen Consumption And Blood Pressure Reactivity To The Cold Pressor Test

Abstract

PURPOSE: The favorable influence of acute as well as regular moderate aerobic endurance exercise on blood pressure (BP) regulation is widely known. It is also well accepted that stress contributes to the development of arterial stiffness and increases the risk of cardiovascular events. In recent studies BP hyper-reactivity to the cold pressor test (CPT) has been suggested as a predictor of hypertension. Therefore we examined whether aerobic capacity, quantified by maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) is associated with BP reactivity to the CPT. METHODS: 27 recreationally active men completed a cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a bicycle ergometer. Peripheral and central BP were measured non-invasively at rest and at the end of a 2 minute CPT using an oscillometric device. Statistical testing about the relationship between VO2max and BP reactivity was performed by applying partial correlation analysis adjusted for age, body mass index and bodyweight. RESULTS: After adjustment for covariates, VO2max showed negative correlations with systolic BP reactivity. This was true for both peripheral (r = -0.63, p = 0.001) and central (r = -0.55, p = 0.005), respectively. Regarding diastolic BP neither peripheral (r = -0.38, p = 0.067) nor central (r = -0.32, p = 0.125) BP-reactivity correlated significantly with VO2max. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides evidence for an inverse relationship between VO2max and systolic BP-reactivity to the cold stimulus. Higher physical conditioning status, indexed by VO2max seem to be associated with more favorable effects on arterial compliance during stress testing and might be beneficial on long-term BP regulation during stress.