Orthostatic Hypotension Press Releases

A drug traditionally used to treat myasthenia gravis shows potential benefit for reducing symptoms of orthostatic hypotension without raising blood pressure when people lie down, according to results of a double-blind, controlled clinical trial.

A drug traditionally used to treat myasthenia gravis shows potential benefit for reducing symptoms of orthostatic hypotension without raising blood pressure when people lie down, according to results of a double-blind, controlled clinical trial.

For many years, researchers have known that the movement problems associated with Parkinson's disease result from a loss of neurons that produce a nerve-signaling chemical called dopamine in one part of the brain. A new study suggests that Parkinson's disease (PD) also affects nerve endings that produce a related chemical, norepinephrine, in the heart. The finding improves understanding about how Parkinson's disease develops and may lead to a way of predicting the disorder and possibly even preventing it.
Fact Sheet

Parkinson's disease is known to cause damage to a specific region of the brain. A new study led by NINDS scientist David S. Goldstein, M.D., Ph.D., shows that the disease also causes widespread damage to the sympathetic nervous system, which controls blood pressure, pulse rate, and many other automatic responses to stress. The study also shows that this damage is unrelated to treatment with the most commonly used Parkinson's drug, levodopa, and may lead to new approaches to identifying the cause of the disease. The study appears in the April 23, 2002, issue of Neurology.
Fact Sheet

For many years, researchers have known that the movement problems associated with Parkinson's disease result from a loss of neurons that produce a nerve-signaling chemical called dopamine in one part of the brain. A new study suggests that Parkinson's disease (PD) also affects nerve endings that produce a related chemical, norepinephrine, in the heart. The finding improves understanding about how Parkinson's disease develops and may lead to a way of predicting the disorder and possibly even preventing it.
Fact Sheet