BACKGROUND Correct evaluation of orthostatic hypotension (OH) is crucial in geriatric practice, since OH is associated with mortality and morbidity. The study aimed to determine the most appropriate method for measuring blood pressure in transition from supine to upright position in order to diagnose OH in older adults. METHODS Active standing test (AST) and head-up tilt table (HUT) test as w...

A 47 year old woman with pure autonomic failure complained of dizziness during emotional stress. Emotional stimuli have not previously been reported to cause hypotension in patients with autonomic failure. In the patient, ambulatory blood pressure recording revealed severe hypotension (50/30 mm Hg) after a stressful event. During a tilt table test, hyperventilation was shown to cause a signific...

Introduction: Robot-assisted tilt table therapy was proposed for early rehabilitation and mobilization of patients after diseases such as stroke. A robot-assisted tilt table with integrated passive robotic leg exercise (PE) mechanism has the potential to prevent orthostatic hypotension usually provoked by verticalization. In a previous study with rather young healthy subjects [average age: 25.1...

Postural stress tests are useful in the assessment of cardiovascular reflex response of normal subjects who may be involved in specialised occupations such as flying; in order to study the effects of physiological stresses such as heat stress, hypoxia, simulation of weightlessness; physiological evaluation of cosmonaut candidates, in patients who may have autonomic neuropathy. Most commonly qui...