title: The prevalence of orthostatic hypotension in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in a diabetic clinic in Enugu South-East Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Orthostatic Hypotension is a serious and common complication of diabetes mellitus.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and risk factors of Orthostatic Hypotension in type 2 diabetic patients in a diabetes mellitus clinic in Enugu South-East Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  A structured questionnaire was administered to the eligible and consenting seventy type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. The supine and erect blood pressures of each patient were recorded. The patients with Orthostatic Hypotension were compared with those without Orthostatic Hypotension for different clinical and biochemical parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19 software. Odds ratio was calculated for the presence of Orthostatic Hypotension amongst the variables and p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of Orthostatic Hypotension in type 2 diabetic patients was 23.3%. Orthostatic Hypotension had statistically significant association with the presence of peripheral neuropathy, retinopathy and proteinuria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Orthostatic Hypotension is a common complication in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients seen at Enugu. It is recommended that measurement of erect and supine blood pressures should be part of the standard care of type 2 diabetic patients.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine, Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. drezeconauth@yahoo.com
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Eze
authors.forename: I O
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Onwuekwe
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Agu
authors.forename: U A
authors.initials: UA
authors.lastname: Kalu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007024:Hypotension, Orthostatic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D015995:Prevalence