title: Blood pressure fluctuation and hypertension in patients with Parkinson's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Blood pressure (BP) abnormalities have been known in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. The present study aimed at determining how the BPs of PD patients fluctuate in a day.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 37 PD patients and 44 OD (other disease) patients, all of who were inpatients, were monitored every 30 min by 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average systolic BP and the number of patients who showed postprandial hypotension were not different between the two groups. However, occurrence of nocturnal hypertension, BP fluctuation of over 100 mmHg in a day and BP of over 200 mmHg were significantly more frequently observed in the PD patients than in the OD patients. In the PD patients, these parameters were not different between those who were suffering from the disease for less than 10 years and those with the disease for 10 years or longer, as well as between those who had a Hoehn-Yahr staging scale of 2-3 and those with a scale of 4-5.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Twenty-four-hour ABPM, not BP measurement once a day, enables us to determine the actual BP in PD patients. Although hypotension is a severe risk factor for falling and syncope, we emphasize the importance of monitoring rather hypertension and fluctuating BP in PD patients that may lead to a variety of other undesirable conditions. Management of hypotension, hypertension, and BP fluctuation is an important issue in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Numazu Rehabilitation Hospital 2510-22 Kamikanuki-mandagahara, Numazu, Shizuoka-ken, 410-0813, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsukamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory, Numazu Rehabilitation Hospital 2510-22 Kamikanuki-mandagahara, Numazu, Shizuoka-ken, 410-0813, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshimi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kitano
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kyoto Shijo Hospital 272-6 Shijohorikawamachi, Higashihorikawadori-shijoukudaru, Shimokyoku, Kyoto, 600-0000, Japan.
authors.forename: Sadako
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuno
keywords: 24-h ABPM; Parkinson's disease; autonomic dysfunction; fluctuating blood pressure; hypertension