Orthostatic hypotension, orthostatic hypertension, and ambulatory blood pressure in patients with chronic kidney disease in CRIC

Orthostatic and Standing Hypertension and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

BACKGROUND

Orthostatic hypertension is an emerging risk factor for adverse events. Recent consensus statements combine an increase in blood pressure upon standing with standing hypertension, but whether these 2 components have similar risk associations with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is unknown.

METHODS

The ARIC study (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) measured supine and standing blood pressure during visit 1 (1987-1989). We defined systolic orthostatic increase (a rise in systolic blood pressure [SBP] ≥20 mm Hg, standing minus supine blood pressure) and elevated standing SBP (standing SBP ≥140 mm Hg) to examine the new consensus statement definition (rise in SBP ≥20 mm Hg and standing SBP ≥140 mm Hg). We used Cox regression to examine associations with incident coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, fatal coronary heart disease, and all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

Of 11 369 participants (56% female; 25% Black adults; mean age, 54 years) without CVD at baseline, 1.8% had systolic orthostatic increases, 20.1% had standing SBP ≥140 mm Hg, and 1.3% had systolic orthostatic increases with standing SBP ≥140 mm Hg. During up to 30 years of follow-up, orthostatic increases were not significantly associated with any of the adverse outcomes of interest, while standing SBP ≥140 mm Hg was significantly associated with all end points. In joint models comparing systolic orthostatic increases and standing SBP ≥140 mm Hg, standing SBP ≥140 mm Hg was significantly associated with a higher risk of CVD, and associations differed significantly from systolic orthostatic increases.

CONCLUSIONS

Unlike systolic orthostatic increases, standing SBP ≥140 mm Hg was strongly associated with CVD outcomes and death. These differences in CVD risk raise important concerns about combining systolic orthostatic increases and standing SBP ≥140 mm Hg in a consensus definition for orthostatic hypertension.

Supine Blood Pressure and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality

Importance

Nocturnal hypertension while asleep is associated with substantial increases in risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death. Whether hypertension while supine is a risk factor associated with CVD independent of seated hypertension remains unknown.

Objective

To investigate the association between supine hypertension and CVD outcomes and by hypertension treatment status.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This prospective cohort study used data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, which was established in 1987 to examine cardiovascular risk factors among middle-aged adults from 4 communities in the US. Supine and seated blood pressure were measured in more than 13 000 middle-aged adults with longitudinal surveillance for CVD over 27 years. Participants with a history of coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure, or stroke were excluded. Data were analyzed from May 2023 through December 2024.

Exposures

Supine hypertension (supine systolic blood pressure ≥130 or diastolic blood pressure ≥80 mm Hg) with and without seated hypertension (seated systolic blood pressure ≥130 or diastolic blood pressure ≥80 mm Hg).

Main Outcomes and Measures

Cox proportional hazard models with adjustment for CVD risk factors were performed to investigate the association of supine hypertension with and without seated hypertension with incident CHD, heart failure, stroke, fatal CHD, and all-cause mortality.

Results

Of 11 369 participants without known CVD (6332 female [55.7%] and 5037 male [44.3%]; 2858 Black [25.1%] and 8511 White [74.9%]; mean [SD] age 53.9 [5.7] years]), 16.4% (95% CI, 15.5%-17.2%) of those without seated hypertension had supine hypertension and 73.5% (95% CI, 72.2%-74.8%) of those with seated hypertension had supine hypertension. Supine hypertension was associated with incident CHD (hazard ratio [HR], 1.60; 95% CI, 1.45-1.76), heart failure (HR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.68-2.01), stroke (HR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.63-2.13), fatal CHD (HR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.84-2.59), and all-cause mortality (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.35-1.52) during a median (25th, 75th percentile) follow-up of 25.7 (15.4, 30.4) years, 26.9 (17.6, 30.5) years, 27.6 (18.5, 30.6 years), 28.3 (20.5, 30.7) years, and 28.3 (20.5 years, 30.7) years, respectively. There were no meaningful differences by seated hypertension status. Results were similar by hypertension medication use. Participants with supine hypertension alone had risk associations similar to those of participants with hypertension in both positions and significantly greater than those of participants with seated hypertension alone with the exception of fatal CHD; seated vs supine HRs were 0.72 (95% CI, 0.61-0.85) for CHD, 0.72 (95% CI, 0.60-0.85) for heart failure, 0.66 (95% CI, 0.51-0.86) for stroke, and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.74-0.92) for all-cause mortality.

Conclusions and Relevance

Supine hypertension regardless of seated hypertension had a higher HR for CVD risk than seated hypertension alone. Future research should evaluate supine hypertension in the setting of nocturnal hypertension and as an independent target of blood pressure treatment.

Assessment and management of exaggerated blood pressure response to standing and orthostatic hypertension: consensus statement by the European Society of Hypertension Working Group on Blood Pressure Monitoring and Cardiovascular Variability

Recent evidence suggests that an exaggerated blood pressure (BP) response to standing (ERTS) is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes, both in young and old individuals. In addition, ERTS has been shown to be an independent predictor of masked hypertension. In the vast majority of studies reporting on the prognostic value of orthostatic hypertension (OHT), the definition was based only on systolic office BP measurements. This consensus statement provides recommendations on the assessment and management of individuals with ERTS and/or OHT. ERTS is defined as an orthostatic increase in SBP at least 20 mmHg and OHT as an ERTS with standing SBP at least 140 mmHg. This statement recommends a standardized methodology to assess ERTS, by considering body and arm position, and the number and timing of BP measurements. ERTS/OHT should be confirmed in a second visit, to account for its limited reproducibility. The second assessment should evaluate BP changes from the supine to the standing posture. Ambulatory BP monitoring is recommended in most individuals with ERTS/OHT, especially if they have high-normal seated office BP. Implementation of lifestyle changes and close follow-up are recommended in individuals with ERTS/OHT and normotensive seated office BP. Whether antihypertensive treatment should be administered in the latter is unknown. Hypertensive patients with ERTS/OHT should be managed as any other hypertensive patient. Standardized standing BP measurement should be implemented in future epidemiological and interventional studies.