IJBPAS, November, 2012, 1(10): 1483-1491 ISSN: 2277–4998 1483 IJBPAS, November, 2012, 1(10) BLOOD PRESSURE RESPONSE TO COLD WATER IMMERSION TEST MISHRA S*, MANJAREEKA M AND MISHRA J Department of Physiology, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, KIIT Campus-5, Patia, Bhubaneswar, Khurda District, Odisha -751024 *Corresponding Author: E Mail- drsoumya_mishra@yahoo.co.in : Mob.: +919583236596 ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate baseline and cold stress test values and to determine the changes in blood pressure and heart rate. Thus providing a comprehensive overview of the human physiological responses to acute cold exposure. Measurements of blood pressure by Sphygmomanometer was made in 20 healthy young adults before the test and at 1min, 3min and 5min after immersing the hand up to wrist in cold water maintained at 5°C. The initial 60secs of the test represented vascular reactivity to the cold stimulus, and the hemodynamics at 5mins of hand immersion represented the degree of circulatory adaptation to this stimulus. The statistical analysis was done by paired t-test. Most patients responded to the cold pressor test with statistically significant increase in diastolic blood pressure than systolic blood pressure. There was 12.10% rise in systolic blood pressure and 16.02% rise in diastolic blood pressure with 23.09 % rise in heart rate. Heart rate increased significantly (p < 0.05) after 1min of immersion, and by the end of 5mins it reached pre normal values (p < 0.05). The response to cold immersion can be used to assess vascular disorders and predict hypertension in later life. Keywords: Cold Pressor Test, Heart Rate, Sympathetic Activity, Hypertension, Autonomic Function Test INTRODUCTION Hines and Brown described an ice water immersion test (cold pressor test, CPT or cold immersion test) in 1932, to determine individual vascular reactivity [1, 2]. They observed that there were marked changes in blood pressure when a person immersed an