Aging and postural hypotension. An update.

Postural hypotension is a common clinical problem in elderly patients. Reported studies have investigated the epidemiology and mechanisms of this disorder. However, many of these data are based on subjects with diseases and medications also known to cause this disorder, which confuses the relative contributions of normal aging, disease, and medication effects. This review critically evaluates published studies on measurement, epidemiology, and mechanisms of postural hypotension in screened and unscreened elderly populations. Pertinent age-related changes in physiology and the relationship of postural hypotension in the elderly to other models of postural hypotension are reviewed. Areas of current and future research are outlined.