[Clinical significance of orthostatic blood pressure decline in patients with Binswanger-type infarction].
We analysed the blood pressure change in 40 patients with Binswanger-type infarction after 10 minutes of 90 degrees head-up tilting to clarify the clinical significance of orthostatic blood pressure decline observed in this disease. We investigated the correlation of orthostatic decline in systolic blood pressure to dementia, gait disturbance and nocturnal decrease in 24-hour variation of systolic blood pressure. Orthostatic blood pressure decline in patients with this disease was significantly marked in comparison with that in 50 patients with lacunar infarction, especially in the males. This blood pressure decline was significant in patients with dementia and moderate or severe gait disturbance, compared with those without such symptoms. There was no difference in orthostatic change between patients suffering from this disease with non-dementia and mild or absent gait disturbance and those with only lacunar infarction. Orthostatic blood pressure decline was found to be correlated significantly with the disorder of nocturnal blood pressure decrease. It is suggested that the decline of blood pressure on standing is a parameter indicating the progression of this disease.