The study was carried out in 200 male volunteers. They were divided into two groups. The study group was exposed to noise levels of more than 80 dB(A) for more than 8 hours a day for a period of 6 months, working in the steel and hammer industry, whereas the control group was working under normal conditions. The mean age of subjects was 33.33 + 0.867 years and the mean noise level to which they were exposed was 90.34 + 0.781 dB(A). Various autonomic function tests were carried out in both the groups and results were analyzed using Z test. Heart rate was recorded on cardiofax ECG machine and blood pressure (BP) was recorded using sphygmomanometer. The tests depicted significant increase in the mean resting heart rate and the heart rate response to standing (P=0.000), 30:15 ratio (P=0.002), the valsalva ratio (P=0.017), the % change in diastolic BP response to standing (P=0.000) and valsalva maneuver (P=0.000), the systolic BP and diastolic BP after cold pressor test (P=0.000) in study group as compared to the control group. The significant higher results in study group may be attributed to increased sympathetic activity. Thus, noise presents as a significant health hazard. It is recommended that maximum allowable duration of exposure should be reviewed and strictly followed.

Stress is one of the basic factors in the aetiology of a number of diseases such as atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, aging, liver disease etc. Hence this work was designed to study the effect of stress in the form of forced immobilisation stress on lipid peroxidation and lipid profile in rabbits. The study was conducted in 25 healthy rabbits of either sex. Rabbits were subjected to forced immobilisation for two hours everyday for consecutive seven days. Blood samples were collected on day 1, 3 and 7 after immobilisation period. Malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation was estimated by TBA assay method. Lipid profile was analysed by multichannel autoanalyser. There was statistically significant increase in MDA, total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL and triglycerides with immobilisation. These findings indicate that stress in the form of forced immobilisation increases lipid peroxidation and alter lipid profile, which may be responsible for pathophysiology of various diseases.

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Context:The modern living life-style is known to produce various physical and psychological stresses resulting in increased blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). This can lead to increased myocardial oxygen demand (MVO2). MVO2 correlated best with rate pressure product (RPP). RPP is a product of HR and systolic BP.Objective:The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of relaxation in the form of pranayama on RPP in mild hypertensives.Materials and Methods:Mild hypertensive patients were divided into two groups. Group A received antihypertensive drugs for 6 weeks and Group B received antihypertensive drugs along with pranayama training for 6 weeks.Results:BP decreased significantly in Group B (148 ± 8.09-127 ± 12.10 mm of Hg) where pranayama was added. The decrease was significant as compared to Group A. HR decreased significantly in both the groups as compared to baseline, however the decrease was similar in both groups. RPP decreased significantly in both groups as compared to baseline, however the decrease was significantly more (P < 0.01) when pranayama was added to antihypertensive drugs (96.73 ± 20.53) when compared to antihypertensive drugs alone (114.66 ± 26.30).Conclusion:The pranayama produces relaxed state and in this state parasympathetic activity overrides sympathetic activity. Hence, addition of pranayama can be a useful addition to antihypertensive drugs for better control of hypertension in mild hypertensives.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a global epidemic with important health care and financial implications. The cold pressor test (CPT) which is considered to be a sympathy-excitatory manoeuvre is a simple, noninvasive and validated test. The objective of this study was to assess and compare the cardiovascular response to cold pressor test in non-obese and obese healthy adults. METHODS: The study included 400 subjects, of which the study group included 200 adults who had body mass index (BMI) of more than 30 Kg/m, 2 and 200 non-obese adults were enrolled as controls with BMI less than 25 kg/m 2 . The study was conducted for a period of two months. CPT was used to assess cardiac response to acute cold exposure in the present study. Baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressure recording was done using mercury sphygmomanometer during resting condition and following cold pressor test. The results were expressed as mean, standard deviation, and data were analyzed using ANOVA test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean change in systolic blood pressure before and after cold pressor test (CPT) was less in obese (7.12 ± 5.28) as compared to non-obese subjects (10.38 ±6.35). This was statistically significant which indicates impaired sympathetic function in otherwise healthy obese. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that blood pressure response to cold pressor test was reduced in obese compared to non-obese subjects indicating reduced sympathetic activity in healthy obese adults. KEYWORDS: cold pressor test, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index