Causes of chronic orthostatic hypotension.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the frequency of various causes of orthostatic hypotension.


METHODS
Survey.


METHODS
Tertiary referral center.


METHODS
One hundred patients with moderate to severe orthostatic hypotension.


RESULTS
Twenty-seven percent of the patients had primary autonomic failure, 35% had secondary autonomic failure, and 38% had hypotension without evidence of generalized autonomic degeneration.


CONCLUSIONS
In a tertiary referral center, only a minority of patients with severe orthostatic hypotension will have Shy-Drager syndrome or Bradbury-Eggleston syndrome as their primary disease. Occasional patients who initially appear to have Bradbury-Eggleston syndrome ultimately prove to have Shy-Drager syndrome or paraneoplastic autonomic failure. Antidepressant drugs, even in low doses, remain a major overlooked cause of orthostatic hypotension.
Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashiville, Tenn.
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007024:Hypotension, Orthostatic / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged