Abstract P606: Blood Pressure Regulation in Patients with Meniere’s Disease

Abstract

Background: The reason for inner ear fluid buildup in Meniere’s disease patients is unidentified and current treatment is of limited effectiveness. Little is known about the regulation of blood pressure (BP) in this disease. We developed a protocol placing Meniere’s patients under mild mental stress to induce changes in BP. The purpose of this study was to examine BP regulation in Meniere’s patients and provide mechanistic insight into the disease. Methods: We measured BP in 9 individuals (5 males, 4 females; 8 Caucasians, 1 African-American) ranging from age 53 to 81. Seven of these subjects were on a range of antihypertensive medications, including ACE inhibitors, aldosterone antagonists, alpha-blockers, beta-blockers, and diuretics. The protocol included 10 minutes of rest, 20 minutes of stress (competitive video game), and 10 minutes of recovery. BP was taken before and after each period and 10 minutes into the stressor. Results: Of the 9 subjects, 6 experienced a rise in BP during the stressor. There was a significant increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP) between rest (Rest10) and halfway through the stress protocol (Stress10) and between rest and the beginning of the recovery period (Recov0) as shown in Figure 1. Conclusions: According to our study, Meniere’s disease patients exhibit dysregulation of BP that is exaggerated during stress, even while taking a range of antihypertensive medications. After the completion of the stressor, BP remained elevated and continued to rise in some cases. The degree to which these Meniere’s patients are unable to control their BP is potentially clinically significant.