Effect of Acute Stress on Cardiac Output and Systemic Peripheral Resistance in Young Adult Medical Students

Abstract

Stress is major problem in population especially in young adult students in the present environment. Stress adversely affects almost all the systems of the body including cardiovascular system predisposing the individual at higher risk for development of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. The present study was conducted to assess the effect of acute stress on cardiac output and systemic peripheral resistance in young adult medical students. One hundred asymptomatic healthy male medical students, aged 17–25 years, participated voluntarily in the present study. Cold pressor test (CPT) was used to produce acute stress. Subjects were exposed to acute stress by standard procedure of CPT, i.e. immersion of hand in cold water of 8°c for 2 minutes. Blood pressure and heart rate were recorded by using automatic digital sphygmomanometer. Cardiac output, peripheral resistance and other cardiovascular parameters were recorded using Impedance Cardiovasograph (Nivomon). All the parameters were recorded before and immediately after cold pressor test. Results showed that there was significant increase in all cardiovascular parameters after exposure to acute stress in form of cold stress. Increase in diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), systemic peripheral resistance (SPR) and systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) were highly significant (p<0.001). while increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP), cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), cardiac index (CI), stroke volume index (SI) were less significant (p<0.05).