Orthostatic hypotension predicts mortality in middle-aged adults: the Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) Study.
BACKGROUND
An association between orthostatic hypotension (OH) and mortality has been reported, but studies are limited to older adults or high-risk populations.


RESULTS
We investigated the association between OH (a decrease of 20 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure or a decrease of 10 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure on standing) and 13-year mortality among middle-aged black and white men and women from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (1987-1989). At baseline, 674 participants (5%) had OH. All-cause mortality was higher among those with (13.7%) than without (4.2%) OH. After we controlled for ethnicity, gender, and age, the hazard ratio (HR) for OH for all-cause mortality was 2.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.1 to 2.8). Adjustment for risk factors for cardiovascular disease and mortality and selected health conditions at baseline attenuated but did not completely explain this association (HR = 1.7; 95% CI, 1.4 to 2.0). This association persisted among subsets that (1) excluded those who died within the first 2 years of follow-up and (2) were limited to those without coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, or fair/poor perceived health status at baseline. In analyses by causes of death, a significant increased hazard of death among those with versus without OH persisted after adjustment for risk factors for cardiovascular disease (HR = 2.0; 95% CI, 1.6 to 2.7) and other deaths (HR = 2.1; 95% CI, 1.6 to 2.8) but not for cancer (odds ratio = 1.1; 95% CI, 0.8 to 1.6).


CONCLUSIONS
OH predicts mortality in middle-aged adults. This association is only partly explained by traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease and overall mortality.
Rose
Kathryn M
KM
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. kathryn_rose@unc.edu
Eigenbrodt
Marsha L
ML
Biga
Rebecca L
RL
Couper
David J
DJ
Light
Kathleen C
KC
Sharrett
A Richey
AR
Heiss
Gerardo
G
D000367:Age Factors; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002423:Cause of Death; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007024:Hypotension, Orthostatic / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors