Causes of Orthostatic Hypotension
Cause | Examples |
|---|---|
Neurologic (involving autonomic dysfunction) | |
Central | Strokes (multiple) |
Spinal cord | Tumors |
Peripheral | Diabetic, alcohol-related, or nutritional neuropathy Familial dysautonomia (Riley-Day syndrome) Surgical sympathectomy |
Cardiovascular | |
Hypovolemia | Dehydration Hemorrhage |
Impaired vasomotor tone | Bed rest (prolonged) |
Impaired cardiac output | Left ventricular outflow obstruction (ie, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy) Constrictive pericarditis, pericardial effusion with tamponade Tachyarrhythmias or bradyarrhythmias |
Other | |
Medications and drugs | |
Vasodilators | Calcium channel blockers Nitrates |
Autonomically active | Antipsychotics (particularly phenothiazines) Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) Tricyclic or tetracyclic antidepressants |
Other | Alcohol Barbiturates |
* Disorder causes supine hypertension. | |
† Symptoms are more common when treatment is begun. | |