Background: 

Both short- and long-term exposure to cold increase blood pressure (BP) and may explain the higher wintertime cardiovascular morbidity and mortality observed in epidemiologic studies. The cold induced BP increase could be even more harmful to hypertensive people who have already an elevated BP. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of short-term facial cooling on aortic BP among hypertensive subjects.

Methods: 

We conducted a population-based recruiting of 51 untreated hypertensive and 32 normotensive men (age 60 yr) who underwent whole body cold exposure simulating everyday winter conditions (minus 10°C, wind of 3m/s, facial cooling while body was protected by winter clothing, 15 min). Aortic BP was measured by radial artery applanation tonometry (AtCor®). Augmentation index (AI) and subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR) were computed from the aortic BP wave form.

Results: 

Facial cooling increased aortic BP from 129/93 to 161/107 mmHg (cold) in hypertensive and from 113/80 to 142/91 mmHg in normotensive subjects. An AI increase of over 50% was accompanied with a SEVR decrease of 5–6% during cold exposure in both test group, denoting accelerated wave reflection and decreased myocardial oxygen supply/demand–relation. The aortic BP responses to cold were similar in hypertensive and normotensive subjects.

Conclusions: 

Facial cooling increases aortic BP and cardiac workload while myocardial oxygen demand slightly increases in relation to blood supply in both hypertensive and normotensive men. Due to the higher baseline BP among hypertensive subjects the cold-induced rise in aortic BP may involve an aggravated risk of adverse cardiovascular health effects. Hence, hypertensive people need customized advice for appropriate cold-related health risk management.