The Influence of Acute Starvation on the Cardiovascular Responses to Lower Body Subatmospheric Pressure or to Standing in Man

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Abstract
The cardiovascular responses to lower body subatmospheric pressure or to standing were measured in the same 9 normal male subjects after a 12 and 48 h fast. After the 48 h fast there was a significant reduction in diastolic blood pressure and forearm vascular resistance (relative to the values after a 12 h fast) when subjects were supine. During exposure to lower body subatmospheric pressure, subjects who had fasted for 48 h showed an inability to maintain systolic blood pressure, accompanied by an impairment of forearm vasoconstriction and an exaggerated tachycardia (relative to their responses after a 12 h fast). Similar disorders of cardiovascular homeostasis were seen on standing. The results are consistent with an inhibition of sympathetic nervous activity after a 48 h fast, but other possibilities are discussed.