Detection of orthostatic hypotension with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in parkinson's disease

The impact of short-term blood pressure variability on cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease patients without co-morbidities

Cardiovascular dysautonomia, cognitive decline and dementia are common non-motor features of Parkinson's disease. Short-term blood pressure variability may play a role in the pathogenesis of dementia. Sixty five patients with Parkinson's disease, without cardiovascular comorbidities, with no concomitant medications affecting cardiovascular system were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. They were divided according to their cognitive status and underwent clinical examination, 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, orthostatic test, brain magnetic resonance imaging and laboratory tests. Twenty patients were cognitively intact, 23 presented mild cognitive impairment and 20 had dementia. There were no differences in duration of the disease or dopaminergic therapy between the groups. Patients with dementia when compared to those cognitively intact, had higher short-term blood pressure variability, assessed as standard deviation of daytime diastolic blood pressure and average real variability of systolic blood pressure. They also had a higher frequency of supine hypertension and lower nocturnal blood pressure fall (reverse dipping). Average real variability of systolic blood pressure, supine hypertension and reverse dipping correlated with cognitive impairment, especially with visuospatial, language and executive functions. Short-term blood pressure variability, supine hypertension and reverse dipping may contribute to the pathogenesis of dementia in PD.

Blood pressure variability as predictor of cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity in patients with Multiple Myeloma

Blood pressure (BP) variability (BPV) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular (CV) events. The role of BPV in defining risk of cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity (CTR-CVT) is currently unknown. The aims of this study were: (i) to evaluate BPV in a population of patients with Multiple Myeloma, undergoing proteasome inhibitors therapy; (ii) to assess the predictive value of BPV for CTR-CVT; (iii) to analyze clusters of subjects based on BPV. One hundred twenty-four patients underwent a baseline evaluation, including Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM), PWV, and Echocardiography. BPV was assessed through ABPM-based standard deviation (SD), weighted standard deviation (wSD), coefficient of variation (CoV), average real variability (ARV), and variability independent of the mean (VIM). Individuals who developed CTR-CVT had a higher baseline BPV. Furthermore, night-time BPV was associated with CTR-CVT, independently of age, smoking, BP, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and kidney function (night-time systolic CoV: adjusted OR 1.09 [1.01-1.21]; night-time systolic VIM: adjusted OR 1.18 [1.01-1.39]). Cut-offs for these BPV parameters were identified as predictors of CTR-CVT occurrence: 10.5 for night-time systolic CoV; 7.8 and 6.4 for systolic and diastolic night-time VIM. Clustering analysis identified subgroups of subjects characterized by the highest BPV, who had a greater prevalence of events, but no differences in other CV risk determinants. Short-term BPV is an independent predictor of CTR-CVT. BPV may enhance the precision of risk stratification in cancer patients, enabling identification of individuals at higher risk who would not be recognized, if traditional prognostic indicators were the sole applied criteria. On the left panel in the figure, the distribution of blood pressure variability (BPV) in the population according to cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity occurrence; in the central panel, association of blood pressure variability with events and cutoffs values; in the right panel, clustering analysis results based on BPV levels. Histogram and radar plot represent events and BPV indexes distribution in the three clusters, respectively. ARV, average real variability; BPV, Blood Pressure Variability; CTR-CVT, cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity; CoV, coefficient of variation; DBP, Diastolic blood pressure; SBP, Systolic blood pressure; SD, standard deviation; VIM, variability independent of the mean; wSD, weighted standard deviation.

Hypotensive episodes at 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring predict adverse outcomes in Parkinson's disease

PURPOSE

Neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (nOH) is a frequent nonmotor feature of Parkinson's disease (PD), associated with adverse outcomes. Recently, 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) showed good accuracy in diagnosing nOH. This study aims at evaluating the prognostic role of ABPM-hypotensive episodes in predicting PD disability milestones and mortality and comparing it to the well-defined prognostic role of bedside nOH.

METHODS

Patients with PD who underwent ABPM from January 2012 to December 2014 were retrospectively enrolled and assessed for the development of falls, fractures, dementia, bed/wheelchair confinement, hospitalization, and mortality, during an up-to-10-year follow-up. Significant ABPM-hypotensive episodes were identified when greater than or equal to two episodes of systolic BP drop ≥ 15 mmHg (compared with the average 24 h) were recorded during the awakening-to-lunch period.

RESULTS

A total of 99 patients (74% male, age 64.0 ± 10.1 years, and PD duration 6.4 ± 4.0 years) were enrolled. At baseline, 38.4% of patients had ABPM-hypotensive episodes and 46.5% had bedside nOH. On Kaplan-Meier analysis, patients with ABPM-hypotensive episodes showed earlier onset of falls (p = 0.001), fractures (p = 0.004), hospitalizations (p = 0.009), bed/wheelchair confinement (p = 0.032), dementia (p = 0.001), and shorter survival (8.0 versus 9.5 years; p = 0.009). At Cox regression analysis (adjusted for age, disease duration, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and Hoehn and Yahr stage) a significant association was confirmed between ABPM-hypotensive episodes and falls [odds ratio (OR) 3.626; p = 0.001), hospitalizations (OR 2.016; p = 0.038), and dementia (OR 2.926; p = 0.008), while bedside nOH was only associated with falls (OR 2.022; p = 0.039) and dementia (OR 1.908; p = 0.048).

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of at least two ABPM-hypotensive episodes independently predicted the development of falls, dementia, and hospitalization, showing a stronger prognostic value than the simple bedside assessment.

Hypotensive episodes at 24-h Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring predict adverse outcomes in Parkinson's Disease

Purpose

Neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (nOH) is a frequent non-motor feature of Parkinson's disease (PD), associated with adverse outcomes. Recently, 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) has been shown to diagnose nOH with good accuracy (in the presence of at least 2 episodes of systolic BP drop ≥ 15 mmHg compared to the average 24-h). This study aims at evaluating the prognostic role of ABPM-hypotensive episodes in predicting PD disability milestones and mortality and comparing it to well-defined prognostic role of nOH.

Methods

PD patients who underwent ABPM from January 2012 to December 2014 were retrospectively enrolled and assessed for the development of falls, fractures, dementia, bed/wheelchair confinement, hospitalization, mortality, during an up-to-10-year follow-up.

Results

Ninety-nine patients (male 74%; age: 64.0 ± 10.1 years; PD duration: 6.4 ± 4.0 years) were enrolled. At baseline, 38.4% of patients had ABPM-hypotensive episodes and 46.5% had bedside nOH.At Kaplan-Meier analysis patients with ABPM-hypotensive episodes had an earlier onset of falls (p = 0.001), fractures (p = 0.004), hospitalizations (p = 0.009), bed/wheelchair confinement (p = 0.032), dementia (p = 0.001), and showed a shorter survival (8.0vs9.5 years; p = 0.009). At Cox regression analysis (adjusted for age, disease duration, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and H&Y stage at baseline) a significant association was confirmed between ABPM-hypotensive episodes and falls (OR:3.626; p = 0.001), hospitalizations (OR:2.016; p = 0.038), and dementia (OR:2.926; p = 0.008), while bedside nOH was only associated with falls (OR 2.022; p = 0.039) and dementia (OR:1.908; p = 0.048).

Conclusion

The presence of at least two ABPM-hypotensive episodes independently predicted the development of falls, dementia, and hospitalization, showing a stronger prognostic value than the simple bedside assessment.

Orthostatic hypotension: Review and expert position statement

Orthostatic hypotension is defined as a drop in systolic blood pressure of at least 20mmHg or a drop in diastolic blood pressure of at least 10mmHg within 3minutes of standing. It is a common disorder, especially in high-risk populations such as elderly subjects and patients with neurological diseases, and is associated with markedly increased morbidity and mortality. Its management can be challenging, particularly in cases where supine hypertension is associated with severe orthostatic hypotension. Education of the patient, non-pharmacological measures, and drug adaptation are the cornerstones of treatment. Pharmacological treatment should be individualized according to the severity, underlying cause, 24-hour blood pressure profile, and associated coexisting conditions. First-line therapies are midodrine and fludrocortisone, which may need to be combined for optimal care of severe cases.

Abnormal circadian blood pressure regulation and cognitive impairment in α-synucleinopathies

Circadian blood pressure (BP) rhythm is important for the maintenance of healthy daily life, and its disruption is associated with poor outcomes. Cardiovascular autonomic failure is often observed in older populations but has a greater impact on neurodegenerative disorders such as α-synucleinopathies. These BP abnormalities include orthostatic hypotension (OH), supine hypertension (SH), and a loss of nocturnal BP fall. OH not only causes falls or syncope but is also related to cognitive impairment in α-synucleinopathies. For example, OH doubles or triples the risk for the development of cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD). The diffuse central and peripheral neuropathology of α-synuclein may contribute to both OH and cognitive impairment. Moreover, repeated cerebral hypoperfusion in OH is thought to be related to cerebrovascular and neuronal damage, which may cause cognitive impairment. SH, which often coexists with OH, is also associated with cognitive impairment through cerebrovascular damage, such as white matter lesions and cerebral microbleeds. The reverse-dipping (riser) pattern on ambulatory BP monitoring is commonly observed in PD (∼56%), regardless of disease duration and severity. It is also related to cognitive impairment and more pronounced when coexisting with OH. These abnormal circadian BP profiles may be synergistically associated with cognitive impairment and poor outcomes in α-synucleinopathies. Although evidence for aggressive control of BP dysregulation improving cognitive impairment and outcomes is limited, regular BP monitoring appears to be important for total management of α-synucleinopathies.

Role of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in elderly hypertensive patients

Background

Arterial hypertension is facing some changes in the last years. Its prevalence is increasing in elderly subjects. This growing prevalence is due to longer survival of the population worldwide, among other factors. On the other hand, recent guidelines have insisted in the relevance of out of office blood pressure measurements, to improve diagnostic and management of hypertension. Therefore, elderly subjects with hypertension could benefit from out of office blood pressure measurements, like ambulatory blood pressure measurements; nevertheless, there are very few or no specific recommendations regarding this.

Aim

In this review, we will gather the most important information about this subject.

Results

As hypertension in the elderly has some specific characteristics related to aging of the cardiovascular system, the most important aspect could be that these characteristics make ambulatory blood pressure measurement suitable for its use in elderly. Among those a higher prevalence of white coat hypertension, white coat phenomenon, and a higher nocturnal blood pressure and higher prevalence of nondipper and riser pattern, represent aspects that should be considered for better diagnostic and an improved management.

Conclusion

As the prevalence of hypertension will grow in the next years, more studies specifically directed to this subject are needed.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40885-022-00205-6.

Association between hypotension during 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and reflex syncope: the SynABPM 1 study

AIMS

Diagnostic criteria for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in patients with suspected reflex syncope are lacking. The study hypothesis was that patients with reflex syncope have a higher prevalence of systolic blood pressure (SBP) drops on ABPM.

METHODS AND RESULTS

ABPM data from reflex syncope patients and controls, matched by average 24 h SBP, age, sex, and hypertension were compared. Patients with constitutional hypotension, orthostatic hypotension, and predominant cardioinhibition during carotid sinus massage or prolonged electrocardiogram monitoring or competing causes of syncope were excluded. Daytime and nighttime SBP drops (<110, 100, 90, 80 mmHg) were assessed. Findings were validated in an independent sample. In the derivation sample, daytime SBP drops were significantly more common in 158 syncope patients than 329 controls. One or more daytime drops <90 mmHg achieved 91% specificity and 32% sensitivity [odds ratio (OR) 4.6, P < 0.001]. Two or more daytime drops <100 mmHg achieved 84% specificity and 40% sensitivity (OR 3.5, P = 0.001). Results were confirmed in the validation sample of 164 syncope patients and 164 controls: one or more daytime SBP drops <90 mmHg achieved 94% specificity and 29% sensitivity (OR 6.2, P < 0.001), while two or more daytime SBP drops <100 mmHg achieved 83% specificity and 35% sensitivity (OR 2.6, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

SBP drops during ABPM are more common in reflex syncope patients than in controls. Cut-off values that may be applied in clinical practice are defined. This study expands the current indications for ABPM to patients with reflex syncope.

Machine learning applied to ambulatory blood pressure monitoring: a new tool to diagnose autonomic failure?

BACKGROUND

Autonomic failure (AF) complicates Parkinson's disease (PD) in one-third of cases, resulting in complex blood pressure (BP) abnormalities. While autonomic testing represents the diagnostic gold standard for AF, accessibility to this examination remains limited to a few tertiary referral centers.

OBJECTIVE

The present study sought to investigate the accuracy of a machine learning algorithm applied to 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) as a tool to facilitate the diagnosis of AF in patients with PD.

METHODS

Consecutive PD patients naïve to vasoactive medications underwent 24 h-ABPM and autonomic testing. The diagnostic accuracy of a Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) model exploiting ABPM parameters was compared to autonomic testing (as per a modified version of the Composite Autonomic Symptom Score not including the sudomotor score) in the diagnosis of AF.

RESULTS

The study population consisted of n = 80 PD patients (33% female) with a mean age of 64 ± 10 years old and disease duration of 6.2 ± 4 years. The prevalence of AF at the autonomic testing was 36%. The LDA model showed 91.3% accuracy (98.0% specificity, 79.3% sensitivity) in predicting AF, significantly higher than any of the ABPM variables considered individually (hypotensive episodes = 82%; reverse dipping = 79%; awakening hypotension = 74%).

CONCLUSION

LDA model based on 24-h ABPM parameters can effectively predict AF, allowing greater accessibility to an accurate and easy to administer test for AF. Potential applications range from systematic AF screening to monitoring and treating blood pressure dysregulation caused by PD and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Parkinson's disease outside the brain: targeting the autonomic nervous system

Patients with Parkinson's disease present with signs and symptoms of dysregulation of the peripheral autonomic nervous system that can even precede motor deficits. This dysregulation might reflect early pathology and therefore could be targeted for the development of prodromal or diagnostic biomarkers. Only a few objective clinical tests assess disease progression and are used to evaluate the entire spectrum of autonomic dysregulation in patients with Parkinson's disease. However, results from epidemiological studies and findings from new animal models suggest that the dysfunctional autonomic nervous system is a probable route by which Parkinson's disease pathology can spread both to and from the CNS. The autonomic innervation of the gut, heart, and skin is affected by α-synuclein pathology in the early stages of the disease and might initiate α-synuclein spread via the autonomic connectome to the CNS. The development of easy-to-use and reliable clinical tests of autonomic nervous system function seems crucial for early diagnosis, and for developing strategies to stop or prevent neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease.

Digital health technology for non-motor symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease: Futile or future?

INTRODUCTION

There is an ongoing digital revolution in the field of Parkinson's disease (PD) for the objective measurement of motor aspects, to be used in clinical trials and possibly support therapeutic choices. The focus of remote technologies is now also slowly shifting towards the broad but more "hidden" spectrum of non-motor symptoms (NMS).

METHODS

A narrative review of digital health technologies for measuring NMS in people with PD was conducted. These digital technologies were defined as assessment tools for NMS offered remotely in the form of a wearable, downloadable as a mobile app, or any other objective measurement of NMS in PD that did not require a hospital visit and could be performed remotely. Searches were performed using peer-reviewed literature indexed databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane CENTRAL Register of Controlled Trials), as well as Google and Google Scholar.

RESULTS

Eighteen studies deploying digital health technology in PD were identified, for example for the measurement of sleep disorders, cognitive dysfunction and orthostatic hypotension. In addition, we describe promising developments in other conditions that could be translated for use in PD.

CONCLUSION

Unlike motor symptoms, non-motor features of PD are difficult to measure directly using remote digital technologies. Nonetheless, it is currently possible to reliably measure several NMS and further digital technology developments are underway to offer further capture of often under-reported and under-recognised NMS.

Characteristics of the 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in patients with Parkinson's disease - the SFC BP multicentre study in China

OBJECTIVES

Cardiovascular dysautonomia can be present at early, late and even prodromal stages of Parkinson's disease. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring and investigate the frequency of cardiovascular dysautonomia in Parkinson's disease without an abnormal BP history.

METHODS

Parkinson's disease patients without history of abnormal BP were consecutively enrolled from three Chinese centres, on whom office BP measurement, neurological evaluations and 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring were performed.

RESULTS

Totally, 101 Parkinson's disease patients (42.6% women) with an average age of 66.6 ± 8.2 years were included in our cohort, and data analysis revealed that 26 (25.74%) patients suffered from orthostatic hypotension, among whom 18 (69.23%) were symptomatic. Patients with orthostatic hypotension compared with those without had significantly higher nocturnal SBP level, and more severe nonmotor symptoms, autonomic dysfunction and cognitive impairment. Further, 54 out of 101 (53.47%) individuals had a reverse dipping pattern in SBP and/or DBP. Reverse dippers had more cases of orthostatic hypotension (P < 0.001), and more severe nonmotor symptoms. SBP dipping ratio of less than -2.98% generated 76.9% of sensitivity, 69.3% of specificity, 46.5% of positive predictive value (PPV), 89.7% of negative predictive value (NPV) and 77.4% of accuracy, while diastolic dipping ratio of less than -1.80% generated 76.9% of sensitivity, 70.7% specificity, 47.6% of PPV, 89.8% of NPV and 77.8% of accuracy for suspecting orthostatic hypotension.

CONCLUSION

Orthostatic hypotension can occur in one-fourth Parkinson's disease patients without abnormal BP history, and reverse dipping was present in more than half of patients with Parkinson's disease. Reverse dipping pattern was helpful to suspect orthostatic hypotension.

The Association of Orthostatic Hypotension With Ambulatory Blood Pressure Phenotypes in SPRINT

BACKGROUND

Clinic blood pressure (BP) when measured in the seated position, can miss meaningful BP phenotypes, including low ambulatory BP (white coat effects [WCE]) or high supine BP (nocturnal non-dipping). Orthostatic hypotension (OH) measured using both seated (or supine) and standing BP, could identify phenotypes poorly captured by seated clinic BP alone.

METHODS

We examined the association of OH with WCE and night-to-daytime systolic BP (SBP) in a subpopulation of SPRINT, a randomized trial testing the effects of intensive or standard (<120 vs. <140 mm Hg) SBP treatment strategies in adults at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. OH was assessed during follow-up (6, 12, and 24 months) and defined as a decrease in mean seated SBP ≥20 or diastolic BP ≥10 mm Hg after 1 min of standing. WCE, based on 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring performed at 27 months, was defined as the difference between 27-month seated clinic and daytime ambulatory BP ≥20/≥10 mm Hg. Reverse dipping was defined as a ratio of night-to-daytime SBP >1.

RESULTS

Of 897 adults (mean age 71.5±9.5 years, 29% female, 28% black), 128 had OH at least once. Among those with OH, 15% had WCE (vs. 7% without OH). Moreover, 25% of those with OH demonstrated a non-dipping pattern (vs. 14% without OH). OH was positively associated with both WCE (OR=2.24; 95%CI: 1.28, 4.27) and reverse dipping (OR=2.29; 95% CI: 1.31, 3.99).

CONCLUSIONS

The identification of OH in clinic was associated with two BP phenotypes often missed with traditional seated BP assessments. Further studies on mechanisms of these relationships are needed.

CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION

Trial Number NCT03569020.

Blood Pressure Patterns in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review

(1) Background: Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction is a non-motor feature in Parkinson’s disease with negative impact on functionality and life expectancy, prompting early detection and proper management. We aimed to describe the blood pressure patterns reported in patients with Parkinson’s disease, as measured by 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. (2) Methods: We conducted a systematic search on the PubMed database. Studies enrolling patients with Parkinson’s disease undergoing 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were included. Data regarding study population, Parkinson’s disease course, vasoactive drugs, blood pressure profiles, and measurements were recorded. (3) Results: The search identified 172 studies. Forty studies eventually fulfilled the inclusion criteria, with 3090 patients enrolled. Abnormal blood pressure profiles were commonly encountered: high blood pressure in 38.13% of patients (938/2460), orthostatic hypotension in 38.68% (941/2433), supine hypertension in 27.76% (445/1603) and nocturnal hypertension in 38.91% (737/1894). Dipping status was also altered often, 40.46% of patients (477/1179) being reverse dippers and 35.67% (310/869) reduced dippers. All these patterns were correlated with negative clinical and imaging outcomes. (4) Conclusion: Patients with Parkinson’s disease have significantly altered blood pressure patterns that carry a negative prognosis. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring should be validated as a biomarker of PD-associated cardiovascular dysautonomia and a tool for assisting therapeutic interventions.