Figure 1.

Beat‐to‐beat finger blood pressure (FBP) and heart rate (HR) recording in a patient with pure autonomic failure. The blood pressure (BP) values were determined with a brachial BP cuff. One small box indicates a 7‐second interval. In the supine position, BP readings were in the hypertensive range. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia was almost completely abolished. When the patient stood up, BP decreased profoundly. There was no adequate compensatory increase in HR. In the first few minutes, the patient did not experience orthostatic symptoms despite the profound hypotension. After several minutes of standing, a further slight decrease in BP occurred. This decrease in BP exceeded the autoregulatory capacity of the brain, and the patient became severely symptomatic and had to sit. bpm=beats per minute