Objective: To Describe the prevalence of autonomic symptoms present in Mexican patients with Parkinson’s Disease.To Describe the prevalence of autonomic symptoms present in Mexican patients with Parkinson’s Disease.

Background: Autonomic dysfunction in PD is common and may precede motor features, but it becomes more prevalentas the disease progresses. Autonomic problems encompass bladder, bowel and sexual dysfunction, as well as cardiovascular complications such as postural hypotension[1].

Method: An observational, cross-sectional, retrospective study was carried out with patients diagnosed with PD who attended the movement disorders clinic of the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery in Mexico City. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate means, standard deviations and frequencies. The significance of the associations was tested using ANOVA.

Results: 80 patients participated in the study (60.0% male and 40.0% female), with a mean age of 66.23 ± 11.39.

Among the main dysautonomic symptoms, the following were identified: orthostatic hypotension 16.7%, supine nocturnal orthostatic hypertension 66.6%, erectile dysfunction present in 42.5% of male patients; Sialorrhea in 20.0% of patients, with a predominance in men 16.3%; Palpitations affect 27.5% of patients, with a higher incidence in men 21.3%; Syncope in 17.5% of patients, with a higher prevalence in men 11.3%; Early satiety affects 25% of patients, with a clear disparity between men 20% and women 5%; Constipation in 60% of patients, with a predominance in men 38.8%; Diarrhea, although less prevalent, affects 13.8% of patients, highlighting a predominance in women 7.5%; Urgency urinary in 42.5% of patients, predominating in men 30%; Urinary incontinence present in 41.3% of patients, predominating in men 28.7%.

Conclusion: Among the main dysautonomic symptoms reported by patients, supine nocturnal orthostatic hypertension was the most common (66.6%), followed by erectile dysfunction (42.5%), and urgency urinary (42.5%). It is well known that dysautonomias represent one of the most problematic and challenging symptoms to treat. We recommend the use of 24-hour ambulatory monitoring, bladder ultrasound, and Holter monitoring for these cases as an initial approach for all patients with Parkinson’s Disease.

References: 1.Schapira, A. H. V., Chaudhuri, K. R., & Jenner, P. (2017). Non-motor features of Parkinson disease. Nature reviews. Neuroscience, 18(7), 435–450. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn.2017.62

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/prevalence-of-autonomic-symptoms-in-mexican-population-with-parkinsons-disease/