THE EFFECT OF INCREASED ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE ON BLOOD PRESSURE

Preliminary uncontrolled observations on thirty students at the School for Second Class Divers, U.S. Submarine Base, New London, Connecticut, showed an apparent drop of blood pressure during the four-weeks course. On the basis of these observations, an attempt was made to demonstrate, under controlled conditions, the effect on blood pressure of exposure to increased atmospheric pressures. Experimentally, a total of sixty subjects were exposed to increased atmospheric pressure under controlled conditions. Under the conditions described, no appreciable, lasting effect of increased atmospheric pressure on blood pressure was demonstrated. It is felt that further experimentation on the subject may be justified using different conditions. It is possible that submersion under actual diving conditions and extending over a much longer period of time may demonstrate a lasting effect on blood pressure.