Orthostatic Hypotension and Orthostatic Intolerance Symptoms in Geriatric Rehabilitation Inpatients, RESORT.

OBJECTIVES

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) and orthostatic intolerance symptoms are common in older community-dwelling adults and are associated with reduced quality of life and detrimental health outcomes. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, co-occurrence and determinants of OH and orthostatic intolerance symptoms in geriatric rehabilitation inpatients.

DESIGN

Observational, longitudinal cohort, "REStORing the health of acutely unwell adulTs" (RESORT).

SETTING AND

PARTICIPANTS

Geriatric rehabilitation inpatients (n = 1505) of a tertiary teaching hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

METHODS

OH was defined as a drop in systolic blood pressure by ≥20 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure by ≥10 mm Hg within three 3 of moving from supine to a standing or sitting position. Symptoms were recorded following the 3 minutes. Determinants included sociodemographics, reason for admission, cognitive health, nutritional status, physical performance, frailty, morbidity, medication use, length of stay (LOS), and number of geriatric conditions. Independent t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests or χ2 tests were used to analyze differences between inpatients with and without OH and symptoms. Logistic regression analyses were used to ascertain the determinants.

RESULTS

OH and orthostatic intolerance symptoms were prevalent in 19.8% (standing: 21.4%, sitting: 18.2%) and 22.6% (standing: 25.0%, sitting: 20.2%) of inpatients, respectively. Symptoms were reported by 32.8% of inpatients with OH and 20.1% without OH. Higher number of comorbidities and geriatric conditions, low functional independence, and longer LOS were determinants of OH. Female gender, higher number of morbidities and geriatric conditions, low functional independence, depression risk, poor physical performance, musculoskeletal and "other" reasons for admission, and long LOS during geriatric rehabilitation were determinants of symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: OH and orthostatic intolerance symptoms occur in one-fifth of geriatric rehabilitation inpatients, however, the co-occurrence is low and determinants differ. Poorer health in patients with orthostatic intolerance symptoms highlights the need to assess symptoms in clinical practice, independent of an OH diagnosis.