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Correlates of Postural Hypotension in a Community Sample of Elderly Blacks and Whites
Author(s) -
Strogatz David S.,
Keenan Nora L.,
Barnett Elizabeth M.,
Wagner Edward H.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1991.tb03593.x
Subject(s) - medicine , supine position , sitting , blood pressure , stroke (engine) , physical therapy , mechanical engineering , pathology , engineering
Postural hypotension is thought to be prevalent among the elderly, but few community‐based studies of this condition have been conducted. In addition, little is known about postural hypotension in blacks despite well documented racial differences in hypertension and stroke. Data on 659 elderly (≥60 years of age) participants in a survey of two rural, biracial townships were analyzed to describe the frequency and correlates of postural hypotension. Twelve percent of the 659 adults experienced a drop of 10 mmHg or greater in systolic blood pressure on going from sitting to standing (supine measures were not available). This degree of postural hypotension was twice as common for whites as for blacks (14.5% vs 7.5%, P = 0.01). Postural hypotension was associated with elevated sitting blood pressure and showed positive but statistically non‐significant relationships with anti‐hypertensive medications and leanness. The association between race and postural hypotension persisted after adjusting for these and other risk factors (OR = 2.2, 95% CI:1.2,4.0).