In this final episode of our Autonomic Dysfunction Series, Jean Donovan, RN, MSN, MAPA, PhD will share her journey with Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension and provide details on how she manages. Jean will address such practical topics as how to take your blood pressure (BP), why it is important to track and monitor your BP, as well as how to interpret and document your data. The first 3 presentations in this series are on our YouTube channel if you missed any.
Recent research has uncovered a great deal about the etiology and serious consequences of non-motor signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease--Dysautonomias. While many questions remain unanswered, through the development of new imaging technology, it has become clear that 1 in 3 PD patients has Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension (nOH). Complicating the diagnosis is the fact that most patients with nOH have misleading or no symptoms of the disorder. Furthermore, PD patients with nOH also suffer from a form of Dysautonomia that is exhibited by a lack of cardiac and extracardiac sympathetic noradrenergic nerves (thyroid and kidneys), and from the failure of the arterial baroreflex.
In addition to an increased risk of falls and higher hospital utilization, these patients with nOH are also at much higher risk of dementia, cardiac events, and death than PD patients without nOH. In addition to the risks of low blood pressure, research reveals that approximately half of patients with nOH also experience supine hypertension and the risks that are associated with that disease. Because of the complexity of managing BP among PD patients, research supports the heightened importance of PD patients learning how to accurately monitor their own orthostatic BP at home and sharing that information with clinicians at each visit.
