Impact of the grasping test on women’s cardiovascular systems, and the possibility of replacing the orthostatic tolerance test with it

Abstract

The aim of this study was to test the impact of the Grasping Test (GT) on the female cardiovascular system and to ascertain the possibility of using this to replace the Orthostatic Tolerance Test (OT). In this study, 15 volunteer female students were examined, and their physiological parameters - their systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressures (DBP), and their heart rates (HR) - were compared. We found that the Orthostatic Tolerance Test (changing the position of the body from recumbent to upright) and the Grasping Test induced meaningful but similar changes in the functioning of the women’s cardiovascular system. The results confirm that there were significant similarities between the cardiovascular system measurements as produced through the Orthostatic Tolerance Test and the Grasping Test. The possibility of introducing the procedure into clinical practice is a crucial factor for continuing our research in the wider population.

Keywords

• hypokinesia
• orthostatic intolerance
• orthostatic tolerance test
• grasping test