The association of antihypertensives with postural blood pressure and falls among seniors residing in the community : a case control study

Date of Acceptance: 22/07/2015 This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Acknowledgements The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest,including specific financial interests and relationships and affiliations relevant to the subject of this manuscriptPeer reviewedPostprin

Recommendations for tilt table testing and other provocative cardiovascular autonomic tests in conditions that may cause transient loss of consciousness. Consensus statement of the European Federation of Autonomic Societies (EFAS) endorsed by the American Autonomic Society (AAS) and the European Academy of Neurology (EAN)

An expert committee was formed to reach consensus on the use of tilt table testing (TTT) in the diagnosis of disorders that may cause transient loss of consciousness (TLOC) and to outline when other provocative cardiovascular autonomic tests are needed. While TTT adds to history taking, it cannot be a substitute for it. An abnormal TTT result is most meaningful if the provoked event is recognised by patients or eyewitnesses as similar to spontaneous events. The minimum requirements to perform TTT are a tilt table, a continuous beat-to-beat blood pressure monitor, at least one ECG lead, protocols for the indications stated below and trained staff. This basic equipment lends itself to the performance of (1) additional provocation tests, such as the active standing test, carotid sinus massage and autonomic function tests; (2) additional measurements, such as video, EEG, transcranial Doppler, NIRS, end-tidal CO2 or neuro-endocrine tests; and (3) tailor-made provocation procedures in those with a specific and consistent trigger of TLOC. TTT and other provocative cardiovascular autonomic tests are indicated if the initial evaluation does not yield a definite or highly likely diagnosis, but raises a suspicion of (1) reflex syncope, (2) the three forms of orthostatic hypotension (OH), i.e. initial, classic and delayed OH, as well as delayed orthostatic blood pressure recovery, (3) postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome or (4) psychogenic pseudosyncope. A therapeutic indication for TTT is to teach patients with reflex syncope and OH to recognise hypotensive symptoms and to perform physical counter manoeuvres

Ageing vision and falls: a review

Background: Falls are the leading cause of accidental injury and death among older adults. One of three adults over the age of 65 years falls annually. As the size of elderly population increases, falls become a major concern for public health and there is a pressing need to understand the causes of falls thoroughly. Main body of the abstract: While it is well documented that visual functions such as visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and stereo acuity are correlated with fall risks, little attention has been paid to the relationship between falls and the ability of the visual system to perceive motion in the environment. The omission of visual motion perception in the literature is a critical gap because it is an essential function in maintaining balance. In the present article, we first review existing studies regarding visual risk factors for falls and the effect of ageing vision on falls. We then present a group of phenomena such as vection and sensory reweighting that provide information on how visual motion signals are used to maintain balance. Conclusion: We suggest that the current list of visual risk factors for falls should be elaborated by taking into account the relationship between visual motion perception and balance control

Effectiveness of falls clinics: An evaluation of outcomes and client adherence to recommended interventions

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate outcomes associated with falls clinic programs. DESIGN: Longitudinal. SETTING: Thirteen outpatient falls clinics in Victoria, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred fifty-four people referred for clinic assessment (mean age±standard deviation 77.9±8.8; 73% female). INTERVENTION: After assessment, multifactorial interventions were organized to address identified risk factors. MEASUREMENTS: A Minimum Data Set was developed and used across all clinics to derive common data on falls, falls injuries, and secondary measures associated with falls risk, including balance, falls efficacy, gait, leg strength, function, and activity. All measures were repeated 6 months later. RESULTS: Clients had a high risk of falls, with 78% having had falls in the preceding 6 months (63% multiple fallers, 10% experiencing fractures from the falls). An average of 7.6±2.8 falls risk factors were identified per client. The clinic team organized an average of 5.7±2.3 new or additional interventions per client. Sixty-one percent of eligible clients returned for the 6-month assessment. At this time, there was more than a 50% reduction in falls, multiple falls, and fall injuries (P=.004) and small but significant improvements evident on secondary measures of balance, leg strength, gait speed, and confidence outcomes (P<.006). Average adherence to recommendations was 74.3%. Factors associated with higher adherence included being male, younger than 65, living with others, and having a caregiver (P<.05). CONCLUSION: This large multicenter study identified high falls risk of older people referred to falls clinics, the multifactorial nature of their presenting problems and provides preliminary evidence of positive outcomes after falls clinic management. © 2008, Copyright the Authors