The Prevalence of ortostatic hypotension in the geriatric hospital and old-age home population

• Autor(a) principal: Ducla-Soares, José
• Data de Publicação: 2002
• Outros Autores: Matos, Catarina, Vaz-Luís, Inês
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://revista.spmi.pt/index.php/rpmi/article/view/1870
• topic: hipotensão ortostática; prevalência; população geriátrica; orthostatic hypotension; prevalence; elderly

Orthostatic Hypotension (OH) may result in substantial morbidity and mortality inelderly people. Studies in foreign countries have found a high prevalence of OH in the elderly. Our objectives were evaluating OH in hospital patients and in homes for the elderly, the associated symptoms and comorbidity. Blood pressure measurements of 70 people were taken and symptoms and the diseases among those who were found to have OH were registered.The prevalence of OH was 38.6 % (36% in hospital patients and 45% in homes for the elderly). In those who had OH1: the most frequent symptoms that were associated with postural change were dizziness, visual and hearing disorders2; the most frequentdiseases were hypertension and coronary heart disease. In our study we found a high prevalence of O.H. in elderly people. Therefore, theregular detection of O.H. in the elderly is of considerable importance.