Autonomic function in a prevalent Tanzanian population with Parkinson’s disease and its relationship to disease duration and 5-year mortality

BMC Research Notes

Richard W Walker²  William K Gray¹  Catherine L Dotchin¹  Eric Aris³ 

[1] Department of Medicine, North Tyneside District General Hospital, Rake Lane, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, UK;Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK;Department of Internal Medicine, Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

关键词: Tanzania;    Autonomic function;    Africa;    Parkinson’s disease;   

Others  :  1138254
DOI  :  10.1186/1756-0500-6-535

 received in 2013-09-19, accepted in 2013-12-10,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Autonomic dysfunction is common in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We report autonomic function test results in a prevalent, largely untreated, Tanzanian population of PD patients, at different disease stages and investigate the relationship between autonomic dysfunction and mortality.

Methods

Ewing’s battery of autonomic tests was carried out on a prevalent population of PD patients living in the rural Hai district of Tanzania. Where possible, all four tests were performed in the patient’s home. The main outcome of interest was the presence of abnormalities of sympathetic or parasympathetic function. Information on medications used and other co-morbidities was recorded.

Results

Autonomic function tests were recorded for 29 subjects, of whom 3 were on medication at the time of assessment. Of the 26 unmedicated patients, 14 (53.8%) had at least one abnormal test result for autonomic function, of whom only 3 (21.4%) were in late stage disease (Hoehn and Yahr stage IV or V), compared to 7 (58.3%) of 12 with normal autonomic function tests in late stage disease. Ten subjects had died at 5-year follow-up, but there was no association between mortality and autonomic function test abnormalities.

Conclusions

In unmedicated subjects, many patients in late stage disease had relatively preserved autonomic function, compared to those in early stage disease. In people with PD who are taking medication, it may be that when autonomic dysfunction presents in late stage disease it is often due to side effects of medication rather than the disease itself.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Aris et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

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