Abdominal Binder to Treat Orthostatic Hypotension (OH) in Parkinson's Disease (PD)

Abdominal Binders for the Treatment of Orthostatic Hypotension in Parkinson's Disease: an Investigator-initiated Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Cross-over Study

The purpose of the present study is to determine whether the use of an abdominal binder is effective in the non-pharmacological management of orthostatic hypotension in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease

In the present single blinded cross-over trial we investigated the effects of an elastic abdominal binder on blood pressure changes (systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure) after 3 minutes of head-up tilt test in patients with Parkinson's disease and orthostatic hypotension.

Secondarily, we investigated the effects of an elastic abdominal binder on symptoms of orthostatic hypotension in daily living in a 4-weeks open-label follow-up.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Idiopathic PD
• Hoehn & Yahr stadium < or = 4
• Age: 40-90
• Laboratory confirmed neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH)
• Stable pharmacological therapy in the last 6 weeks
• Full legal competence

Exclusion Criteria:

• Other major neurologic or psychiatric diseases
• Untreated diabetes mellitus with clinical features of peripheral neuropathy
• Major cardiac diseases (ischemic, structural, arrhythmias)
• Evidence of varices (venous insufficiency stage > or = C2, "varicose veins")
• Known or suspected pregnancy
• Breast feeding