Figure 1.
Trial profile.
Figure 2.
Variance in the total number of orthostatic values among the 30 patients. The median number was 4, 5 values out of maximum 30 values. b. Blood pressure measurements. The variance in the number of blood pressure measurements (median 30 (20–30) performed by each patient. All 30 patients were tested on at least three occasions, but not everybody was able to remain in standing position for 10 minutes. Therefore we could not always collect the maximum number of measurements (five systolic and five diastolic values).
Figure 3.
Dysautonomic features in our patient sample.
Frequency of the three most common features of autonomic dysfunction, persistent orthostatic hypotension, urinary incontinence and constipation. The total number of patients was 30 and the most common manifestation was orthostatic hypotension. 15 patients (50%) had persistent orthostatic hypotension. Incontinence and constipation were equally common; 9 patients (30%) in each group. 7 patients (23%) had persistent orthostatic hypotension, but no other manifestation. 8 patients (27%) had persistent orthostatic hypotension and one or more manifestation. 2 patients had all three manifestations. 7 patients (23%) had no manifestations of autonomic dysfunction.
Table 1.
Demographics.
Figure 4.
Orthostatic hypotension and survival.
In this Kaplan-Meyer curve we wanted to test if persistent orthostatic hypotension affected survival. Concurrent manifestations of autonomic dysfunction (constipation and urinary incontinence) were not taken into consideration. The black line (group 4∶1) represents the 15 patients with persistant orthostatic hypotension and the grey line(group 4∶2) represents the 15 patients with no or mild orthostatic hypotension (se figure 3). No censored cases. Survival analysis showed that patients with persistent orthostatic hypotension had a significantly shorter survival compared to these with no or mild orthostatic hypotension. Log rank x2 = 6.370, p = 0.041.
Figure 5.
Manifestations of autonomous dysfunction and survival.
In this Kaplan-Meyer curve we divided the patients in three groups, aiming to test if presence of concurrent manifestations of autonomous dysfunction, ie constipation and urinary incontinence in addition to persistent orthostatic hypotension, had an adding negative effect om survival. The grey line (group 5∶1) represent the 15 patients with no or mild orthostatic hypotension. The black line (group 5∶2) represent the 7 patients with severe orthostatic hypotension but no other manifestation. The black dashed line (group 5∶3) represent the 8 patients with severe orthostatic hypotension and one or two more manifestations. No censored cases. Survival analysis showed a significant difference between the three groups (Log rank x2 = 6.370, p = 0.041), where patients with one or two more manifestations in addition to persistent orthostatic hypotension (group 5∶3) had the shortest survival and group 5∶2 had the next shortest survival.