Interrelationships between Survival, Sex, and Blood Pressure in Patients with Multiple System Atrophy

The aim of this study is to estimate survival among patients with multiple system atrophy-parkinsonian type (MSA-P) or cerebellar type MSA (MSA-C) in relation to blood pressure (BP) measurements, by sex.

A cohort of 99 MSA patients was studied retrospectively. Their BP measurements were obtained during prolonged (40 min, vertical position) drug-free tilt testing. We used K-M survival curves and Cox regression to calculate adjusted (to age of onset) hazard ratios (HRs) of BP measurements on time to death by MSA subtype and sex.

Fifty-two MSA patients were males and 47 were females. Sixty-three of them had MSA-P and 36 had MSA-C. The mean age at motor symptom onset was 61.1 ± 10.4 years, and mean disease duration at the time of BP assessment was 8.0 ± 4.7 years. The 2 study groups (MSA-P and MSA-C) did not differ significantly in age at MSA onset, sex ratio, or disease duration. Survival time did not differ between the groups {medians: 12 years (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8-28) and 10 years (95% CI: 8-13), respectively}. The MSA-P group showed a trend towards better survival for males (log-rank p = 0.0925). The maximal diastolic orthostatic BP decline during tilt testing had a borderline positive association with death risk among MSA-C males (adjusted HR = 1.18, p = 0.0665), and systolic BP after 10 min in a supine position had a significant positive association with death risk among MSA-P males (adjusted HR = 1.06, p = 0.0354).

The findings of a sex-based difference in the effect of BP on death risk may be important for adjusting the therapeutic approach to MSA patients.