Takeaway
- Prevalence of orthostatic hypotension (OH) was found to be similar in men and women <75 years of age but was significantly higher in men than in women ≥75 years.
- Increased risk for OH was seen in women with systolic BP ≥140 mm Hg, while BMI was a protective factor for OH in men and women.
Why this matters
- Presence of OH has been found to be associated with common cardiovascular risk factors such as ageing, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension.
Study design
- Cross-sectional study of 882 participants (women, n=547; men, n=330) from Maracaibo Aging Study.
- Patients were assessed for OH using BP measurement.
- Funding: National Institute on Aging; Fogarty International Center.
Key results
- Mean age of the participants was 66.7±8.5 years.
- Overall, 170 participants reported OH and the prevalence was similar among both sexes.
- Risk for OH was significantly higher among men older than 75 years vs women (P=.003).
- Systolic BP of ≥140 mm Hg (OR, 4.53; 95% CI, 1.94-10.58; P=.0001) and high pulse pressure (PP; PP, 0.939; for high PP*sex, 0.014) were found to be related with OH accounted by interaction sex-term.
- Univariate analysis showed significant risk for OH in women with BP ≥140 mm Hg (P=.001), and significantly lower risk for OH associated with BMI for both sexes.
Limitations
- Use of conventional BP measurements.
- Self-reported measurements.
References
References
