Orthostatic hypotension: prevalence and associated risk factors among the ambulatory elderly in an Asian population
The prevalence of orthostatic hypotension (OH) among the elderly population in Singapore, as defined by a decline in blood pressure upon a change in position, is not well-established. Studies associate OH with clinically significant outcomes such as falls. This study aims to determine the prevalence...
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Published in | Singapore medical journal Vol. 57; no. 8; pp. 444 - 451 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Singapore
Singapore Medical Association
01.08.2016
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | The prevalence of orthostatic hypotension (OH) among the elderly population in Singapore, as defined by a decline in blood pressure upon a change in position, is not well-established. Studies associate OH with clinically significant outcomes such as falls. This study aims to determine the prevalence of OH among elderly patients attending a public primary care clinic (polyclinic) for chronic disease management, and examine the relationships between postulated risk factors and OH.
Patients aged ≥ 65 years attending a typical polyclinic in Geylang were identified and targeted for recruitment at the study site. A questionnaire on symptoms and postulated risk factors was administered, followed by supine and standing blood pressure measurements. Cross-sectional analysis was performed with independent sample t-test for continuous data and chi-square test for categorical data. Prevalence rate ratios with 95% confidence interval were calculated for the latter.
A total of 364 multiethnic patients participated in the study. The prevalence of OH was 11.0%. Older age, comorbidities such as cardiac failure and kidney disease, being physically inactive at work, fatigue, self-reported dizziness in the past year, and the use of loop diuretics were found to be significantly associated with OH.
About one in ten elderly patients at a local polyclinic was affected by OH, which was associated with multiple factors. Some of these factors are modifiable and can be addressed to reduce the incidence of OH. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0037-5675 |
DOI: | 10.11622/smedj.2016135 |