Orthostatic Drop in Diastolic but Not Systolic Blood Pressure Is Associated With Fear of Falling in Older Fallers

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is very common in older persons and associated with several adverse outcomes,1 such as cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.2,3 Because OH can cause symptoms of dizziness and instability, it can also lead to falls and bone fractures,4 which consequently can contribute to physical impairment and decreased quality of life. It is estimated that up to 10% of falls occur secondary to abnormal blood pressure responses such as OH.4 However, it is not completely clear whether older fallers with OH differ from older fallers without OH in terms of their physical performance and fear of falling.

Source: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association - January 12, 2020 Category: Health Management Authors: Lisanne Tap, Nicole D.A. Boy é, Klaas A. Hartholt, Nathalie van der Velde, Tischa J.M. van der Cammen, Francesco U.S. Mattace-Raso Tags: Research Letter Source Type: research