7 Nov 2023
Parkinson´s disease cardiovascular symptoms: A new complex functional and structural insight
Background: The known impairments of the cardiovascular system in Parkinson´s disease (PD) are caused by autonomic dysfunction and manifested mainly in postural hypotension, chronotropic insufficiency, and reduced heart rate variability. Other dysfunctions, mainly stress response, arrhythmia occurrence, and heart morphology changes, are still the subject of research.
Objectives: To assess the heart rate and blood pressure reaction during exercise, advanced measurements of heart volumes and mass using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), and occurrence of arrhythmias in PD patients.
Methods: Thirty PD patients (19 men, mean age 57.5 years) without known cardiac comorbidities underwent bicycle ergometry, electrocardiogram Holter monitoring and CMR. Exercise and CMR parameters were compared with controls (24 subjects for ergometry, 20 for CMR).