Cardiovascular Changes in PD
- Stephanie Soto
- Jul 8
- 2 min read
Parkinson's disease can impact more than just movement. Did you know that the cardiac system can be affected too?
How can PD affect the heart?
Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension
Neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (nOH) is the drop in blood pressure when standing. Sometimes this can result in fainting. With PD, the signaling system in the heart that help control blood pressure may not be able to send messages to increase blood pressure when there is a drop in blood pressure. Currently there is no cure to nOH, but there can be medications or lifestyle changes to help manage symptoms.
Check out this factsheet if you want to learn more about nOH
Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease is a group of different disorders of the heart that lead to poor blood flow, sometimes learning to heart attacks or strokes. Cardiovascular disease can include arrhythmias, heart failure, coronary artery disease, and peripheral arterial disease. Common risk factors of cardiovascular disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity. A recent study showed that cardiovascular disease is more common in PD than compared to the general population. In fact, there is a higher rate of stroke in people with PD compared to those without PD. However, we don't have a solid understanding of why.
Heart rate variability
Heart rate variability (HRV) is the time between heart beats. HRV is a reflection of the health of our nervous system. The higher and more stable your HRV is, the healthier your nervous system is. Our HRV can change when we are stressed, sick, have lack of sleep, change in diet, etc. Tracking this can help demonstrate when your nervous system needs a rest. HRV has been shown to be lower in those with PD. Interestingly, we see changes in HRV in those with PD who experience more freezing of gait.
Are you experiencing cardiovascular changes? It is important to be screened yearly by your cardiologist!
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