Orthostatic Hypertension - A Measure of Blood Pressure Variation for Predicting Cardiovascular Risk

Orthostatic hypertension, a measure of blood pressure (BP) variability, is a clinically important pathologic condition associated with the progression of target organ damage and subsequent cardiovascular risk. Orthostatic hypertension precedes hypertension and could be considered as prehypertension if a patient has seated clinic BP <140/90 mmHg. The simple examination of orthostatic BP changes using a self-measured home BP monitoring, through which abnormal pathological conditions can be detected with high reproducibility without the white-coat effect. Orthostatic hypertension is associated with morning hypertension and increased neurohumoral activation; however, the precise mechanism of orthostatic hypertension remains unclear, and accumulation of further clinical evidence is necessary. (Circ J 2009; 73: 1002-1007)