Impact of orthostatic hypotension on wheelchair use in patients with Parkinson's disease.

ABSTRACT

Wheelchair use is an important indicator of disease progression in Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we investigated whether orthostatic hypotension (OH) affects the time to wheelchair use. We examined 33 PD patients with OH and 95 without OH. Median time to start using a wheelchair calculated from the time of disease onset was significantly shorter in patients with OH than in those without OH (12.0 vs 19.0 years; p < 0.001). Thus, appropriate management of OH and motor function is necessary.