Related Experiment Videos
Orthostatic hypotension in acute geriatric ward: is it a consistent finding?
Avraham Weiss1, Ehud Grossman, Yichayaou Beloosesky
1Department, Rabin Medical Center, Golda Campus, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Archives of Internal Medicine
|November 7, 2002
Summary
Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is common in older adults, with diastolic OH more prevalent than systolic. Diagnosis requires repeated measurements due to poor daily consistency.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a prevalent condition in elderly patient populations.
- Understanding the diurnal variation and consistency of OH is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and consistency of orthostatic hypotension (OH) throughout the day in elderly inpatients.
- To investigate the influence of meal composition on OH occurrence.
Main Methods:
- 502 inpatients (mean age 81.6 years) underwent orthostatic testing three times daily, 30 minutes post-meal.
- OH defined as a systolic blood pressure drop ≥20 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure drop ≥10 mmHg.
- Intraindividual consistency assessed using kappa statistic.
Main Results:
- 67.9% of patients experienced OH at least once; 34.8% had persistent OH.
- Diastolic OH (57.3%) was more common than systolic OH (43.4%).
- OH prevalence was lowest in the evening; meal type did not impact prevalence. Intraindividual consistency was low (kappa = 0.2).
Conclusions:
- Orthostatic hypotension is highly prevalent in the elderly, with diastolic OH being more common.
- OH occurrence varies throughout the day and is not consistently present.
- Repeated measurements are essential for diagnosing OH in older adults, with particular attention to diastolic parameters.