Bromocriptine in Parkinson's disease: a study of cardiovascular effects.
Blood pressure and pulse rate were studied in 20 Parkinsonian patients on no treatment, and during treatment with bromocriptine (mean dosage 148 mg/day) as the sole anti-Parkinsonian therapy. The drug was shown to reduce erect systolic and diastolic and supine systolic blood pressure and to increase erect pulse rate, in a predictable dose-dependent manner. The occurrence of episodes of significant postural hypotension was less predictable and was a transitory phenomenon in all patients. Peripheral dopamine receptor blockade with domperidone did not alter the findings, suggesting that the principal mechanism for these cardiovascular effects is a central dopaminergic one.
D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004294:Domperidone; D006801:Humans; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011674:Pulse / Q000187:drug effects*
D001562:Benzimidazoles; D010880:Piperidines; D001971:Bromocriptine; D004294:Domperidone