Orthostatic hypotension does not increase cardiovascular risk in the elderly at a population level.

Background: The general belief that orthostatic hypotension (OH) predisposes to cardiovascular events is based on sparse and contradictory data, rarely derived from population studies.

Methods: A total of 1,016 men and women aged ≥65 years was studied in a 12-year epidemiological population-based study. Cardiovascular events were detected in subjects with and without OH (blood pressure (BP) decrease ≥20mm Hg for systolic or ≥10mm Hg for diastolic), and Cox analysis was performed including OH as an independent variable.