title: Autonomic symptoms in hypertensive patients with post-acute minor ischemic stroke.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most studies regarding autonomic dysfunction in ischemic stroke are limited to heart rate and blood pressure changes during the acute phase. However, there are few data on quantitative assessment of autonomic symptoms. We sought to assess autonomic symptoms in hypertensive ischemic stroke patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 100 hypertensive patients (45 with symptomatic ischemic stroke (6 months after stroke onset) and 55 without stroke), we assessed autonomic symptoms using the Scale for Outcomes in Parkinson disease-Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age (mean ± standard deviation) for the stroke group was 66 ± 12 and 63 ± 15 for the without stroke group (P=0.8). Orthostatic hypotension occurred in 3.6% of the stroke group and 4.4% in the group without stroke. The total SCOPA-AUT score was higher in the stroke group compared with the group without stroke (P=0.001). Domain scores for gastrointestinal (P=0.001), urinary (P=0.005) and cardiovascular (P=0.001) were higher in the stroke group. No differences were found when comparing the total SCOPA-AUT scores for stroke subtypes (P=0.168) and for lateralization (P=0.6). SCOPA AUT scores were correlated with depression scores (P=0.001) but not with stroke severity (P=0.2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Autonomic symptoms, especially, gastrointestinal, urinary and cardiovascular function, were significantly increased in hypertensive patients with minor ischemic stroke. Symptoms were associated with depression but not with the characteristic of the stroke.
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaiso, Chile. Electronic address: Idiaquez@123.cl.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Idiaquez
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaiso, Chile.
authors.forename: Hector
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Farias
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaiso, Chile.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaiso, Chile.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, UK.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Low
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications*; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*
keywords: Autonomic; Hypertension; Ischemic; Minor; Stroke; Symptoms