What is Orthostatic Hypotension?
Orthostatic hypotension is a debilitating symptom of diverse etiology. In a few cases, identification of the etiology and treatment is easily performed. However, we study patients in whom orthostatic hypotension is of a more complex etiology. Patients can have orthostatic hypotension due to failure of the autonomic nervous system (hypoadrenergic orthostatic hypotension) as seen in primary autonomic failure (idiopathic orthostatic hypotension), multiple system atrophy (Shy-Drager syndrome), secondary autonomic failure (autonomic neuropathy secondary to diabetes mellitus, porphyria, chronic renal failure, amyloidosis, etc.).
