BLOOD-PRESSURE REACTIONS TO THE COLD PRESSOR TEST AND THE PREDICTION OF FUTURE BLOOD-PRESSURE STATUS - DATA FROM THE CAERPHILLY STUDY

The prognostic significance of the cold presser test in hypertension r emains a matter of controversy. Following determination at an initial screening session, blood pressure (BP) was recorded at baseline rest a nd in reaction to a cold presser test. Follow-up screening BP was dete rmined 5 years later. The effective sample was 1039 men, with an avera ge age of 56.6 years at initial screening, Step-wise multiple regressi on indicated that BP reactions to the cold presser test provided minim al independent prediction of follow-up BP over and above that afforded by BP at initial screening. In the case of follow-up systolic pressur e, a model including only age and initial screening systolic BP (SEP) accounted for 38% of the variance; SEP reactions to the cold presser d id not enter the regression equation. In the case of follow-up diastol ic BP (DBP), diastolic pressure at initial screening accounted for 21% of the variance, and while DBP reaction to the cold presser test ente red the equation, it accounted for only an additional 1% of the varian ce. These results suggest that the cold presser test may be of limited clinical use in older populations.