====== Orthostatic hypertension ======
{{tag>Undefined}}

>Orthostatic hypertension—a rise in blood pressure upon assuming upright posture—is an underappreciated and understudied clinical phenomenon. There is currently no widely agreed-upon definition of clinical orthostatic hypertension, the current definitions being operational within the context of particular studies. __//The underlying pathophysiology is thought to involve activation of the sympathetic nervous system, but the actual etiology is poorly understood.//__\\ \\ Source : [[https://www.nature.com/articles/ncpneph0228|Nature Clinical Practice Nephrology volume 2, pages 424–431 ]]

Since the research paper above was written (2006) an international expert panel have published a proposal for a definition :

>Orthostatic hypertension was defined as an exaggerated orthostatic pressor response associated with systolic blood pressure of at least 140 mmHg while standing."\\ \\ [[https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08037051.2022.2161871|ref.]]//Blood Pressure,// Volume 32, 2023 - Issue 1

New research estimates that somewhere between 3% and 30% of adults might have a measurable degree of orthostatic hypertension  (previous estimates were around 1%)

It's proposed that the syndrome might be caused by "sympathetic activation overshoot" - //viz. //an overcompensation may happen when the Sympathetic Nervous System tries to compensate for a gravity-induced lowering of blood pressure around the brain as a person stands up. But there is still no formally agreed explanation of the syndrome.

Given its apparent ubiquity, it seems the syndrome doesn't pose much of a threat to healthy individuals. But those with other pre-existing cardiac and/or blood-pressure problems may be at risk - though it's not known to what extent. To date there are currently no officially recommended treatments.

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Also see : [[content:medicine:diseases:g-l:hypertension]]