Blood Pressure Treatment Eases Fainting
U.S. researchers
said a new drug treatment works well for a common form of impaired nerve
transmission that causes dizziness and fainting.
Researchers
at the Mayo Clinic said the condition causes these symptoms when patients
change position from lying down to standing up.
A recent study
of the treatment found it satisfied patients because other drug treatments
currently used to treat the dizziness and fainting related to the condition
-- called orthostatic hypotension -- are not free of side effects.
The most
dangerous side effect is increased risk of stroke from high blood pressure
when the patient is lying down.
The drug, pyridostigmine,
is commonly used to treat myasthenia gravis, a nerve disorder resulting
in fatigue and muscle weakness.
Pyridostigmine
does not put extra stress on the heart when patients lie down, making it
a safe treatment for orthostatic hypotension.
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Copyright 2004 by United
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