Pronounced Orthostatic Hypotension in GBA-Related Parkinson’s Disease

Article type: Short Communication

Authors: Usnich, Tatiana^a | Hanssen, Henrike^{a; b} | Lohmann, Katja^a | Lohse, Christina^b | Klein, Christine^a | Kasten, Meike^{a; c} | Brüggemann, Norbert^{a; b; *} | on behalf of the EPIPARK Study Group

Affiliations: [a] Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany | [b] Department of Neurology, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany | [c] Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Norbert Brüggemann, MD, Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany. Tel.: +49 451 500 43420; Fax: +49 451 500 43424; E-mail: norbert.brueggemann@neuro.uni-luebeck.de.

Abstract: Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) carrying variants in the Glucocerebrosidase (GBA) gene (GBA-PD) suffer from orthostatic symptoms more frequently than idiopathic PD patients (IPD). Systematic measurements of the blood pressure have not yet been performed. In the present study, a prospective analysis of 33 GBA-PD and 313 IPD patients was carried out. Systolic blood pressure upon changing from the supine to the upright position dropped more strongly in GBA-PD compared to IPD patients. Diastolic blood pressure and heart rate did not differ between groups. This study provides further evidence for a pronounced involvement of the autonomic nervous system in GBA-PD.

Keywords: Autonomic symptoms, GBA, orthostatic hypotension, Parkinson’s disease

DOI: 10.3233/JPD-223197

Journal: Journal of Parkinson's Disease, vol. 12, no. 5, pp. 1539-1544, 2022