Highlights
- •Heart failure patients are susceptible to illness during heat stress.
- •Heat-induced sweating appears to be preserved in heart failure patients.
- •Heat-induced skin blood flow appears to be blunted in heart failure patients.
- •Lower skin blood flow may contribute to heat-related illness in heart failure.
- •Interventions for improving skin blood flow in heart failure are warranted.
Abstract
Upon heat exposure, the thermoregulatory system evokes reflex increases in sweating
and skin blood flow responses to facilitate heat dissipation and maintain heat balance
to prevent the continuing rise in core temperature. These heat dissipating responses
are mediated primarily by autonomic and cardiovascular adjustments; which, if attenuated,
may compromise thermoregulatory control. In patients with heart failure (HF), the
neurohumoral and cardiovascular dysfunction that underpins this condition may potentially
impair thermoregulatory responses and, consequently, place these patients at a greater
risk of heat-related illness. The aim of this review is to describe thermoregulatory
mechanisms and the factors that may increase the risk of heat-related illness in patients
with HF. An understanding of the mechanisms responsible for impaired thermoregulatory
control in HF patients is of particular importance, given the current and projected
increase in frequency and intensity of heat waves, as well as the promotion of regular
exercise as a therapeutic modality. Furthermore, novel therapeutic strategies that
may improve thermoregulatory control in HF, and the clinical relevance of this work
in this population will be discussed.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 10, 2017
Accepted:
April 7,
2017
Received in revised form:
April 3,
2017
Received:
February 10,
2017
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
