Treatment of Chronic Orthostatic Hypotension with L-DOPS

Synthesis of norepinephrine from L-DOPS

One of the most disabling symptoms of patients with autonomic failure is orthostatic hypotension. In patients with orthostatic hypotension, blood pressure falls when changing from a lying or sitting position to a standing one. Because blood pressure falls, not enough blood reaches the brain, causing dizziness, lightheadedness, unsteadiness, dimming of vision, generalized weakness and sometimes loss of consciousness (i.e., syncope).

Orthostatic hypotension in autonomic failure occurs because the release of norepinephrine, the neurotransmitter used by autonomic nerves to send signals to the blood vessels and the heart, is deficient. L-DOPS is an orally active synthetic precursor of norepinephrine.

This clinical trial will determine how effective is L-DOPS in treating orthostatic hypotension. Patients in the trial are admitted to the Clinical Research Center at The Mount Sinai Hospital for 7 to 14 days. The study is supported in part by the National Institute of Health (NIH), National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), and the International Federation of Parkinson's Disease Foundation, Inc.

Literature on chronic orthostatic hypotension

[GCO # 98-243 (2)]

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