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Cold‐induced cutaneous vasoconstriction: effects of age and gender
Author(s) -
Ware Stuart K.,
Ware Jeffrey
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.777.9
Subject(s) - medicine , vasoconstriction , forearm , laser doppler velocimetry , cardiology , vasodilation , blood flow , brachial artery , blood pressure , anesthesia , surgery
Cold stress elicits cutaneous vasoconstriction through neural and local mechanisms to conserve body heat. In this study, the cutaneous sympathetic vasoconstrictor (VC) response to a contralateral arm cold challenge was evaluated in the middle finger (glabrous skin with abundant arteriovenous anastomoses) and posterior forearm (nonglabrous skin with fewer AVAs) in relation to age and gender. Cutaneous blood flow was measured using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) in the non‐dominant arm. Cutaneous vascular conductance was calculated as LDF/mean arterial blood pressure and used to assess VC. Seven men (mean age 64.2 yrs) and 8 women (mean 59.6 yrs) composed the older group. The younger group was composed of 9 men (mean age 23.1 yrs) and 9 women (mean 22.3 yrs). All subjects were healthy and not taking medications. Although the variability of response was greater in the older group, the VC responses at both the finger and forearm were attenuated compared to the younger group, but only at the finger was this statistically significant (P<0.05). VC due to deep inspiratory gasp was also evaluated and found to be more rapid and significant in the younger subjects at both the finger and forearm (P<0.05). With regards to gender, cold‐induced finger VC was greater in the young females compared to the men (P<0.05); this response was also greater in the older females compared to the men, but nonsignificantly. It thus appears that age attenuates the cold‐induced vasoconstriction, especially in glabrous skin, and that females show a greater cold‐induced VC effect compared to age‐matched men.