The Relationship between the Most Common Subtypes of Dementia and Orthostatic Hypotension in Older Adults

Abstract

Background: It is crucial to evaluate the causes of morbidity and mortality in elderly patients with dementia, such as orthostatic hypotension (OH), which may affect their daily life activities, reduce the quality of life, and increase the caregiver burden. Objective: We aimed to investigate the relationship between OH and the most common subtypes of dementia in detail. Methods: A total of 268 older adults with dementia diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), vascular dementia (VaD), and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), and 539 older adults without dementia were included in this prospective study. Comprehensive geriatric assessment including comorbidity, medication evaluation, and the head-up tilt test was also performed. Results: Of the participants, 13.8, 8.3, 6.4, and 4.8% had AD, DLB, bvFTD, and VaD, respectively. After adjusting for age, gender, the presence of comorbidities, and usage of OH-induced drugs; AD, DLB, and VaD were associated with OH (odds ratio [OR]: 2.23 confidence interval [CI] 95% 1.31–3.80; p = 0.003; OR: 3.68 CI 95% 1.98–6.83; p < 0.001, and OR: 3.56 CI 95% 1.46–8.69; p = 0.005, respectively). Furthermore, VaD was independently related to diastolic OH (OR: 4.19 CI 95% 1.66–10.57; p = 0.002), whereas AD and DLB were not. Conclusions: This study shows that elderly patients with DLB, AD, and VaD often have OH, a disabling autonomic dysfunction feature. Moreover, diastolic OH may play a role in the development of VaD. Therefore, considering potential complications of OH, it is essential to evaluate OH in the follow-up and management of those patients.