Hypotension Unawareness in Profound Orthostatic Hypotension
Abstract
Background
Clinicians depend on history given by the patients when considering the diagnosis of orthostatic hypotension.
Methods
Patients with a decrease in systolic blood pressure more than 60 mm Hg from baseline during a head-up tilt table test were included. They were classified according to their symptoms during the head-up tilt table test. Localization of the cause of orthostatic hypotension was sought in each of these groups.
Results
Eighty-eight (43%) patients had typical symptoms, 49 (24%) had atypical symptoms, and 68 (33%) were asymptomatic. The average decrease in systolic blood pressure was 88 mm Hg, 87.5 mm Hg, and 89.8 mm Hg in the typical, atypical, and asymptomatic groups, respectively (P=.81). Patients reported severe dizziness with a similar frequency as lower extremity discomfort. Backache and headache also were common atypical complaints. Patients with peripheral cause of dysautonomia were able to sustain the longest upright position during the head-up tilt table test (21 minutes, compared with central dysautonomia [15 minutes]) (P=.005). There was no correlation between the cause of dysautonomia and the occurrence of symptoms during the head-up tilt table test (P=.58).
Conclusion
A third of the patients with severe orthostatic hypotension are completely asymptomatic during the head-up tilt table test, and another quarter have atypical complaints that would not lead physicians toward the diagnosis of orthostatic hypotension. These findings suggest that they might not provide adequate information in diagnosing profound orthostatic hypotension in a subset of patients with this disorder.
aAutonomic Laboratory, Neurologic Institute, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
bRobert Wood Johnson Medical School/University Hospital, UMDNJ, New Brunswick, NJ
Requests for reprints should be addressed to Steven Arbogast, DO, Neurologic Institute, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, 11100 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106
Funding: Funding was not required for this project.
Conflict of Interest: None of the authors have conflicts of interest or financial disclosures to make.
Authorship: All authors had full access to the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the analysis. All authors had a role in the writing of the manuscript.
ABSTRACT
