Increase of pulmonary vascular resistance during cold provocation in patients with variant angina.

This study was performed to evaluate pulmonary vascular reactivity in patients with angiographically documented coronary vasospasm. Right heart catheterization was performed in 8 subjects with vasospastic angina without evidence of Raynaud's phenomenon: heart rate, systemic and pulmonary arterial pressure as well as cardiac output were determined at rest, during cold provocation and after 20 minutes recovery. Data were obtained both before and during treatment with nifedipine. During cold provocation pulmonary vascular resistance was elevated significantly (P less than 0.02 compared with baseline); systemic vascular resistance tended to increase; nifedipine blunted both vasoconstrictor effects. Our results indicate an abnormal vascular response of the pulmonary arteries to cold provocation in patients with symptomatic coronary artery spasm and suggest a primary vasospastic disorder with coronary and pulmonary manifestation.