Table 5.
Standing effect of levodopa on the blood pressure of older patients with Parkinson's disease.
| “off state” | Best “on state” | P value (BP change by posture in “off state” vs. best “on state”) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 125 mg Levodopa/benserazide (n = 28) | |||
| BP changes after 1-min standing vs. lying position | |||
| SBP | −11 (−34, 9.75) | −14 (−43.75, 5.25) | 0.398 |
| DBP | 2.5 (−11.5, 13.75) | −2 (−12, 7.5) | 0.272 |
| BP changes after 3-min standing vs. lying position | |||
| SBP | −8 (−38.75, 10.25) | −8.5 (−17, 2) | 0.560 |
| DBP | 2.5 (−14.25, 11.25) | −1 (−7.25, 9.5) | 0.555 |
| 250 mg Levodopa/benserazide (n = 31) | |||
| BP changes after 1-min standing vs. lying position | |||
| SBP | 1 (−11, 13) | −1 (−9, 8) | 0.494 |
| DBP | 4 (−5, 10) | 4 (−2, 7) | 0.672 |
| BP changes after 3-min standing vs. lying position | |||
| SBP | 1 (−3, 11) | −9 (−18, 0) | 0.020 |
| DBP | 6 (−1, 11) | 5 (0, 9) | 0.690 |
| 375 mg Levodopa/benserazide (n = 24) | |||
| BP changes after 1-min standing vs. lying position | |||
| SBP | 0.5 (−13.75, 6.75) | −5 (−19.25, 6.75) | 0.389 |
| DBP | 2 (−3.25, 7.5) | 2 (−4.5, 7.5) | 0.981 |
| BP changes after 3-min standing vs. lying position | |||
| SBP | −0.5 (−14, 8) | −13.5 (−25.25, −3.25) | 0.018 |
| DBP | 3 (−2.75, 5) | 1 (−5, 9.75) | 0.585 |
The standing effect of levodopa (BP changes, △BP) in the three groups was compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure. Statistical significance (<0.05) are in bold.