BMJ  2008;336:344 (16 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.39486.512639.3A

Letters

Preventing falls

Don’t forget standing blood pressure

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Postural hypotension is a side effect of many antihypertensive drugs and a well recognised cause of acute or repeated falls.^{1 2} Measuring standing blood pressure in elderly hypertensive patients is recommended by the British Hypertension Society especially for adjusting treatment.³ We looked at 50 consecutive elderly patients aged 78 or older who were admitted to our hospital for falls, acute confusion, or inability to manage at home because of falls.

We studied 28 men and 22 women with an age range of 78-98 and a mean age of 84. All were treated for hypertension, but standing blood pressure was measured in only 9 of them. In 13 antihypertensive drugs were completely withdrawn, and in 21 these drugs were reduced. Subsequently 35 patients were discharged home but 15 were discharged to residential homes. During hospital stay, 15 patients had recurrent falls. This audit shows that when hypertension is treated in elderly patients, . . . [Full text of this article]

¹ Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital, Basildon SS16 5NL

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