J Korean Acad Fam Med.  1997 Feb;18(2):169-183.

Risk Factors of Orthostatic Hypotension among the Long-term Hospitalized Elderly Patients

• Lee SH

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of orthostatic hypotension(OH) and its associations with demographic characteristics, body mass index, medications, disease and activities of daily living.
METHODS
Orthostatic hypotension was assessed at 1 minutes after the patients arose from a supine position among the 183 elderly patients aged 60 years or older in a mental hospital.
RESULTS
The prevalence of orthostatic hypotension defined by changes in systolic or diastolic blood pressure was 41.0% and the prevalence of systolicorthostatic hypotension was 13.1%. Body mass index and serum sodium concentration were lower in women with orthostatic hypotension than those without orthostatic hypotension, but there were no differences among men. Orthostatic hypotension was significantly associated with the level of supine systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Through multiple logistic regression analysis, orthostatic hypotension seerned to be associated with factors such as body mass index, supine diastolic blood pressure and serum sodium concentration. There was no association between orthostatic hypotension and factors such as sex, age and medications.
CONCLUSIONS
Orthostatic hypotension was common in the long-term hospitalized elderly patients. It was associated with hypertension, hyponatremia and low body weight.

MeSH Terms

Activities of Daily Living
Aged*
Blood Pressure
Body Mass Index
Body Weight
Female
Hospitals, Psychiatric
Humans
Hypertension
Hyponatremia
Hypotension
Hypotension, Orthostatic*
Logistic Models
Male
Prevalence
Risk Factors*
Sodium
Supine Position
Sodium