ARS MEDICA Revista de Ciencias Médicas · Aug 17, 2026
Reduction in 24 h ambulatory blood pressure following automatic mechanical peripheral stimulation in a non-dipper patient with Parkinson disease: a case report
By Herrera-Santelices A, Vasquez-Fuentes VH, Peredo-Millacura SM et al.
INTRODUCTION: Parkinson disease (EP) is a degenerative and progressive neurological disease due to the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the midbrain; its etiology is unknown. One of the dysfunctions under investigation is that patients with EP often do not exhibit a nighttime decrease in blood pressure (PA), a condition termed non-dipper. This is associated with increased cardiovascular risk and mortality in this population. The normal range for the nighttime decrease in PA is 10-15%. There is a knowledge gap regarding the benefits of automatic peripheral stimulation (EPMA) therapy and its correlation with PA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present the case of an 86-year-old man with a history of Hoehn and Yahr stage III EP (UPDRS) who underwent a crossover study; PA was assessed for 24 hours using a blood pressure Holter monitor after an active and a sham EPMA session, with a window of 2 weeks for each session. RESULTS: After sham EPMA, there was a nighttime decrease in systolic PA (PAS) of 8.8% and diastolic PA (PAD) of 8.6%, and after active EPMA, PAS decreased by 10.9% and PAD by 14.2%, with the patient no longer classified as a non-dipper. CONCLUSIONS: One session of active EPMA was effective in reducing 24-hour PA in a non-dipper patient with EP.