Comparison of risk of orthostatic hypotension in elderly depressed hypertensive women treated with nortriptyline and thiazides versus elderly depressed normotensive women treated with nortriptyline

• Published in: The American journal of cardiology Vol. 85; no. 9; pp. 1156 - 1158
• Main Authors: Scalco, Mônica Z, de Almeida, Osvaldo P, Hachul, Denise T, Castel, Saulo, Serro-Azul, João, Wajngarten, Maurı́cio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.05.2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic - adverse effects; Antihypertensive agents; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Cardiovascular system; Case-Control Studies; Depression - complications; Depression - drug therapy; Female; Humans; Hypotension, Orthostatic - chemically induced; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nortriptyline - adverse effects; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Tilt-Table Test; Toxicity; Cardiovascular disease; Vertigo; Diuretic; Postural hypotension; Antidepressant agent; ENT disease; Female; Psychopathology; Diagnosis; Human; Hypertension; Nortriptyline; Nervous system diseases; Depression; Tricyclic compound; Medical screening; Equilibrium disorder; Symptomatology; Concomitant disease; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Diseases of the autonomic nervous system; Risk factor; Antihypertensive agent; Combined treatment; Thiazide; Elderly; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0002-9149; 1879-1913
• DOI: 10.1016/S0002-9149(00)00717-7

This is a nonblind, case-controlled study comparing the risk of orthostatic hypotension (OH) in 2 groups of elderly depressed women: 22 normotensive and 21 hypertensive patients receiving thiazides. Blood pressure measurements and tilt-table tests produced similar results: increased drop in systolic blood pressure (SBP) after standing (p <0.001), with no significant differences between the groups (p = 0.523). There were no changes on diastolic blood pressure (DBP) after standing, or in SBP or DBP at rest. Dizziness was reported by 23 subjects (53.5%) before treatment, and by 16 subjects (38.1%) at week 8. Complaints of dizziness were not associated with OH (Kappa = 0.07).