title: Standing Up Slowly Antagonises Initial Blood Pressure Decrease in Older Adults with Orthostatic Hypotension.
abstract: Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is common in older adults and associated with increased morbidity and mortality, loss of independence and high health-care costs. Standing up slowly is a recommended non-pharmacological intervention. However, the effectiveness of this advice has not been well studied.
  
  
  
  The aim of this study was to investigate whether standing up slowly antagonises posture-related blood pressure (BP) decrease in a clinically relevant population of geriatric outpatients.
  
  
  
  In this cross-sectional study, 24 community-dwelling older adults referred to a geriatric outpatient clinic and diagnosed with OH were included. BP was measured continuously during 3 consecutive transitions from supine to standing position during normal, slow and fast transition.
  
  
  
  The relative BP decrease at 0-15 s after slow transition was significantly lower than after normal transition (p = 0.003 for both systolic BP and diastolic BP) and fast transition (p = 0.045 for systolic BP; diastolic BP: non-significant). The relative diastolic BP decrease at 60-180 s after normal transition was significantly lower than after fast transition (p = 0.029).
  
  
  
  Standing up slowly antagonises BP decrease predominantly during the first 15 s of standing up in a clinically relevant population of geriatric outpatients diagnosed with OH. Results support the non-pharmacological intervention in clinical practice to counteract OH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eline S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: de Bruïne
authors.forename: Esmee M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Reijnierse
authors.forename: Marijke C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Trappenburg
authors.forename: Jantsje H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Pasma
authors.forename: Oscar J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: Carel G M
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Meskers
authors.forename: Andrea B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Maier
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007024:Hypotension, Orthostatic / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors