Posture and hypertension

Description

Posture significantly influences blood pressure regulation, especially in certain hypertensive states. In healthy individuals, standing causes a transient BP drop due to venous pooling, countered by baroreceptor reflexes. In some hypertensive patients, this compensation fails, leading to orthostatic hypotension—a drop of ≥20 mmHg systolic or ≥10 mmHg diastolic within 3 minutes of standing. It is common in the elderly, diabetics, and those on diuretics or alpha-blockers. Conversely, supine hypertension may occur in patients with autonomic dysfunction. Postural BP measurements help detect these abnormalities and guide therapy, especially in resistant, elderly, or symptomatic hypertensive individuals.