Management of Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension

The burden of orthostatic hypotension (OH) on public health is a universally recognized enigmatic clinical condition that is associated with significant increases on morbidity and mortality rates, and can take a major toll on one's quality of life. Orthostatic hypotension is predictive of vascular deaths from acute myocardial infarction, strokes in the middle aged population, and increases mortality rates when associated with diabetes, hypertension, Parkinson's disease, and patients receiving renal dialysis. The consensus definition for OH is a fall in systolic blood pressure of at least 20 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure of at least 10 mm Hg within 3 minutes of quiet standing. Because neurogenic OH is often accompanied by supine hypertension, the treatment program should aim toward minimizing OH and the potential fall injuries related to cerebral hypoperfusion without exacerbating nocturnal hypertension that may lead to excessive cardiovascular complications. (C) 2014 - American Medical Directors Association, Inc. All rights reserved.