Acclimatization to cold climates has been observed to result in attenuation of the vasoconstriction phase of the peripheral vascular response known as cold-induced vasodilatation. Attenuation of peripheral vasoconstriction has been reported to decrease the likelihood of cold-injuries, particularly frostbite. There is a paucity of data addressing the extent of this attenuation and its relationship to reported pain, or how this varies with progressive levels of cold acclimatization. In the present experiments, six arctic explorers demonstrated longer and less severe initial vasoconstriction and absence of reported pain following prolonged finger immersion in water at 2°C compared to an age- and gender-matched sample of northern Minnesota residents who were also cold-acclimatized, but to less severe temperature extremes.
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