Unprovoked and glyceryl trinitrate-provoked head-up tilt table test is safe in older people: a review of 10 years' experience.
OBJECTIVE
To test the safety of the head-up tilt test (HUT) in older adults.


METHODS
Direct observation and measurements.


METHODS
Tests performed in a quiet room with dim lighting in a laboratory setting.


METHODS
One thousand ninety-six subjects aged 60 to 74; 873 aged 75 and older.


METHODS
Blood pressure and pulse at baseline for 10 minutes and 70 degrees tilt for maximum of 45 minutes. Subjects with unprovoked HUT had test repeated on a separate day after 800 mg glyceryl trinitrate (GTN).


RESULTS
One thousand four hundred ninety-five drug-free and 474 GTN-provoked HUTs were studied. In those aged 60 to 74, the proportion of hypotensive unprovoked HUT was 16% (27% in those aged > or =75); this was higher with GTN provocation (43% in those aged 60-74, 44% in those aged > or =75; P<.01). Systolic blood pressure decreased during provoked HUT (lowest mean+/-standard deviation=67+/-20 in those aged 60-74, 63+/-24 in those aged > or =75; P<.01). There was one cardiovascular and no neurological complications.


CONCLUSIONS
This study included 10 times as many people as previous studies and demonstrates the safety of HUT in older people.
Gieroba
Zbigniew J
ZJ
Flinders University Department of Rehabilitation and Aged Care, Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park, South Australia.
Newton
Julia L
JL
Parry
Steve W
SW
Norton
Michael
M
Lawson
Joanna
J
Kenny
Rose Anne
RA
D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005996:Nitroglycerin; D013575:Syncope / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018667:Tilt-Table Test / Q000379:methods*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents
D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D005996:Nitroglycerin