| Aging Clin Exp Res. 2006 Feb;18(1):20-4 |
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| Seasonal changes in orthostatic hypotension among elderly admitted
patients |
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| Weiss A, Beloosesky Y, Grinblat J, Grossman E. |
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| Geriatric Department, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah
Tiqva, and Hypertension Unit The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer,
Israel. |
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| BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a common finding
among older patients. It has been shown that blood pressure (BP) is
lower in summer than in winter. The aim of this study was to examine
whether OH varies between seasons in the elderly population. METHODS:
Five hundred and two inpatients (241 males, 261 females) of mean age
81.6 years were included in the study; 253 were studied in summer and
166 in winter. Orthostatic tests were performed 3 times daily, 30 minutes
after meals. Orthostatic hypotension was defined as a decrease of at
least 20 mmHg in systolic BP and/or 10 mmHg in diastolic BP upon assuming
an upright posture at least twice during the day. RESULTS: OH was documented
in 107 patients (34.8%). Initial BP did not differ between seasons
(147.6 +/- 24.6 / 72.6 +/- 14.5 mmHg in summer, 146.7 +/- 23.4 / 71.5
+/- 13.4 mmHg in winter). However, the orthostatic drop in BP in the
morning was greater in summer (-8.4 / -2.8 mmHg vs -4.3 / +0.2 mmHg
in winter; p < 0.05). OH was also more prevalent in summer than
in winter (37.9 vs 27.1%; p = 0.02). After adjustment for all confounders,
the risk of experiencing OH in summer was 64% higher than in winter
[adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.64 [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.03-2.61].
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of OH is higher in summer than winter.
Thus, more attention should be paid to the diagnosis of OH in summer. |
