Orthostatic hypotension is defined as a drop in blood pressure within minutes of standing. Which threshold best describes this drop?

Orthostatic hypotension is defined as a drop in blood pressure within minutes of standing. Which threshold best describes this drop?

• A. Systolic drop of 20 mmHg or diastolic drop of 10 mmHg
• B. Systolic rise of 20 mmHg
• C. Diastolic rise of 10 mmHg
• D. No change in blood pressure

Answer: (A)

When you stand up, gravity causes blood to pool in the legs, which can decrease the amount returning to the heart. If the body's reflexes fail to compensate quickly enough, blood pressure falls, producing orthostatic hypotension. The defining threshold is a drop of at least 20 mmHg in systolic pressure or at least 10 mmHg in diastolic pressure within about 3 minutes of standing. This standard captures clinically meaningful drops that are likely to cause symptoms, while avoiding normal minor fluctuations. So, a patient could experience a systolic fall of 25 mmHg or a diastolic fall of 12 mmHg, and would meet the criterion. The other patterns—blood pressure rising or showing no change—do not indicate orthostatic hypotension.

When you stand up, gravity causes blood to pool in the legs, which can decrease the amount returning to the heart. If the body's reflexes fail to compensate quickly enough, blood pressure falls, producing orthostatic hypotension.

The defining threshold is a drop of at least 20 mmHg in systolic pressure or at least 10 mmHg in diastolic pressure within about 3 minutes of standing. This standard captures clinically meaningful drops that are likely to cause symptoms, while avoiding normal minor fluctuations.

So, a patient could experience a systolic fall of 25 mmHg or a diastolic fall of 12 mmHg, and would meet the criterion. The other patterns—blood pressure rising or showing no change—do not indicate orthostatic hypotension.