Survey Results Highlight Burden of nOH

nOH is defined as a sustained drop in blood pressure upon standing that is due to autonomic dysfunction and is often associated with an underlying neurodegenerative disorder, such as Parkinson’s disease. Symptoms of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (nOH) may include dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, blurred vision, and others that occur upon standing.

Who Is Affected?

About 1 in 5 people with PD may also have symptoms of nOH

About 4 out of 5 people with MSA may also have symptoms of nOH

nOH Symptoms May Affect Daily Activities

87% of patients said that nOH symptoms had an overall negative impact on their ability

“My nOH symptoms can make daily activities physically challenging. Sometimes I get dizzy after long periods of standing and need to sit down.”

—Leon, a PD patient living with nOH

Up to 53% of patients reported reducing or stopping some daily activities

85% of care partners said that patients needed assistance

60% of patients somewhat or strongly agreed that they often hide or minimize their nOH symptoms

55% of patients and care partners somewhat or strongly sgreed that patients did not hesitate a discussion about their nOH symptoms

The authors designed a closed-ended, multiple choice set of questions related to patient nOH symptomology and perception of disease burden. The survey was conducted online by Harris Poll between August 26, 2016 and Oct 3, 2016 on behalf of Lundbeck. Patient organizations including The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, American Parkinson Disease Association, Davis Phinney Foundation, MSA Coalition, National Parkinson Foundation, and Parkinson’s Disease Foundation helped to recruit patients for the US-based survey. Survey respondents included 363 patients and 128 care partners, and primary diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease was self-selected in 90 percent of patients. In addition, 10 percent of patients reported multiple system atrophy and 4 percent reported pure autonomic failure. Similar rates of patient diagnosis were reported by care partners. Despite meeting survey criteria, a formal diagnosis of OH or nOH was reported by 36 percent of patients. This study represents the views of a limited sample of nOH patients and may not be representative of all patients with nOH. Other limitations of this study include that care partners were not required to be paired with patients included in the survey, so it is not possible to draw conclusions regarding the consistency of responses between patients and their care partners.

Understanding nOH symptoms

Complete the Symptom Checker to see if you may be experiencing symptoms of nOH.

Check your symptoms

Find a specialist. This resource can help.

Doctors who specialize in nOH are out there, and finding one could be the key to better managing your symptoms.

Find an nOH specialist today

The information provided in this site is intended only for residents of the US. The health information contained herein is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace discussions with a healthcare provider. ©2019 Lundbeck. nOH Matters is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. UBR-D-100634