High prevalence of orthostatic hypotension in mild dementia.
OBJECTIVE
Orthostatic hypotension (OH) and QTc prolongation have potentially important prognostic and therapeutic consequences but have rarely been studied in patients with mild dementia.


METHODS
Patients with mild dementia were diagnosed according to consensus criteria after comprehensive standardized assessment. OH and QTc were assessed using standardized criteria.


RESULTS
OH was significantly more common in the dementia than in the control group, and systolic drop was higher in those with dementia with Lewy bodies. There were no significant differences in QTc values between dementia and control subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
OH occurs even in patients with mild dementia, in particular in dementia with Lewy bodies. QTc was not prolonged in patients with mild dementia compared with normal controls.
Sonnesyn
Hogne
H
Department of Internal Medicine, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway. soho@sus.no
Nilsen
Dennis W
DW
Rongve
Arvid
A
Nore
Sabine
S
Ballard
Clive
C
Tysnes
Ole B
OB
Aarsland
Dag
D
D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007024:Hypotension, Orthostatic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies