AMBULATORY 24-HOUR BLOOD-PRESSURE RECORDINGS IN PATIENTS WITH PARKINSONS-DISEASE WITH OR WITHOUT FLUDROCORTISONE

Orthostatic hypotension is often associated with patients suffering fr om Parkinson's disease. Only few studies have been published about the ambulatory blood pressure in patients with Parkinson's disease. Fludr ocortisone has been used in management of orthostatic hypotension, Thi s study was made to determine the Circadian rhythm of blood pressure i n healthy elderly people, in Parkinson's disease patients without orth ostatic hypotension and Parkinson's disease patients with fludrocortis one medication for orthostatic hypotension. Ambulatory 24-hour blood p ressure recordings were made in 20 elderly Parkinson's disease patient s and 21 healthy elderly persons. Eight of the Parkinson's disease pat ients were on fludrocortisone (Florinef) therapy because of orthostati c hypotension. The mean daytime systolic blood pressure of Parkinson's disease patients without fludrocortisone was 123 mmHg and the mean ni ghttime systolic blood pressure was 121 mmHg. There was no significant difference between daytime and nighttime systolic blood pressure (Fig ure 1), Diastolic blood pressure in this group was significantly highe r during the day (68 mmHg) than at night (63 mmHg) (Figure 2), The day time blood pressure of control patients was 135/74 mmHg and at night 1 27/69 mmHg (Figures 1, 2), The blood pressure of Parkinson's disease p atients with fludrocortisone was higher at night (156/83 mmHg) than du ring the day (134/77 mmHg) (Figures 1, 2). The daytime and nighttime s ystolic and diastolic blood pressure was significantly lower by non-fl udrocortisone Parkinson patients than the blood pressure of fludrocort isone Parkinson patients (Figures 1, 2). Conclusion: The Parkinson's d isease patients were non-dippers and with fludrocortisone the blood pr essure was higher at night than on day, On day, the blood pressure of the Parkinson's disease patients with fludrocortisone elevated to the level of controls.