The Study
Orthostatic Hypotension Is a Risk Factor for Falls Among Older Adults: 3-Year Follow-up.
This study watched a group of older people who had already fallen and noticed that those with a drop in blood pressure when standing up were more likely to fall again in the next year. But it didn’t make anyone stand up faster or slower — it just watched what happened, so we can’t say the blood pressure drop caused the falls.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
When older people who've fallen before stand up, their blood pressure sometimes drops too fast — this is called orthostatic hypotension.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 553 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — if you're an older adult who's already fallen, checking your blood pressure 30 seconds after standing could help predict if you're at higher risk for more falls in the next year.
- 223.4% of participants had this drop in blood pressure 30 seconds after standing.
- 3These people had 73% more falls in the next year than those without the drop.
- 4The drop at 3 minutes didn't predict falls as well.
- 5Neither drop predicted falls that needed medical treatment after 3 years.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
Year
2021
Authors
Ulla Hohtari-Kivimäki, M. Salminen, T. Vahlberg, S. Kivelä
Related Content
Claims (4)
Older adults with orthostatic hypotension have a 73% higher rate of falls compared to those without it.
In older adults who have previously fallen, measuring a drop in blood pressure when standing up at 30 seconds or 3 minutes does not predict whether they will have a fall that requires medical treatment over the next three years.
In older adults who have fallen before, those who experience a drop in blood pressure 30 seconds after standing have a higher rate of falling again within a year compared to those who do not.
In older adults who have fallen before, a drop in blood pressure 30 seconds after standing is a stronger predictor of future falls within a year than a drop in blood pressure measured 3 minutes after standing.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.