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Symptoms of narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) include excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy, and loss of hypocretin neurons can lead to abnormalities in autonomic and cardiovascular regulation. Researchers in France investigated the effect of psychostimulants and anticataplectic medications on heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP) and endothelial function in 160 patients with NT1. Participants underwent polysomnography, a multiple sleep latency test or maintenance of wakefulness test, and 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring.
Higher 24-hour, daytime, and nighttime diastolic BP and nighttime HR were measured in 54 treated patients than in 68 untreated patients. In an additional 38 patients evaluated before and during treatment, 24-hour and daytime syst…