Comparison of postprandial blood pressure reduction in the elderly by different body position

The purpose of this study was to determine whether different body positions--Fowler's, supine, and left lateral--as compared with a sitting position can prevent postprandial drops in blood pressure in older adults. Participants included 32 persons 65 or over who had experienced postprandial drops in systolic blood pressure of more than 15 mm Hg in a pilot study. This study employed a within-subject repeated measures design using random order allocation of different body positions. To protect against a carryover effect, blood pressures in the different positions were taken at intervals of 1 week. Blood pressure and heart rate were both measured before lunch and at 15-min intervals for 120 min after lunch. Descriptive statistics, repeated measures ANOVA, and paired t-tests with a Bonferroni adjustment were used to analyze the data. No significant differences were observed in the magnitude of blood pressure drops regardless of the position taken after a meal. Therefore, different body positions alone do not adequately prevent PPH or attenuate drops in blood pressure for older adults with PPH. Nurses should carefully monitor falls in blood pressure even in persons on bed rest to prevent the complications of postprandial hypotension.