RESEARCH: High Blood Pressure(when lying down) in MSA Patients

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Cardiol Clin 2002 May;20(2):291-301, vii

Hypertension in orthostatic hypotension and autonomic dysfunction.

Biaggioni I, on RM.

Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, Division of Clinical Pharmacology,

1500 21st Avenue South, Suite 3500, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

37212,

USA. italo.biaggioni@...

Disabling orthostatic hypotension dominates the clinical picture of

autonomic

failure. Nonetheless, severe supine hypertension is observed in about 50% of

patients. In patients with multiple system atrophy (Shy-Drager syndrome),

supine

hypertension is explained by residual sympathetic tone because it can be

eliminated with the ganglionic blocker trimethaphan. The cause of

hypertension

in patients with pure autonomic failure is not known and its understanding

may

be relevant to essential hypertension. Supine hypertension complicates the

treatment of these patients but can be managed by overnight administration

of

antihypertensive medications.

PMID: 12119802 [PubMed - in process]