Association of Supine Hypertension Versus Standing Hypotension With Adverse Events Among Middle-Aged Adults

BACKGROUND: Management of orthostatic hypotension (OH) prioritizes prevention of standing hypotension, sometimes at the expense of supine hypertension. It is unclear whether supine hypertension is associated with adverse outcomes relative to standing hypotension. OBJECTIVES: To compare the long-term clinical consequences of supine hypertension and standing hypotension among middle-aged adults with and without OH. METHODS: The ARIC study (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) measured supine and standing blood pressure (BP) in adults aged 45 to 64 years, without neurogenic OH, between 1987 and 1989. We defined OH as a positional drop in systolic BP ≥20 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥10 mm Hg, supine hypertension as supine BP≥140/≥90 mm Hg, and standing hypotension as standing BP≤105/≤65 mm Hg. Participants were followed for >30 years. We used Cox regression models to examine associations with cardiovascular disease events, all-cause mortality, falls, and syncope. RESULTS: Of 12 489 participants (55% female, 26% Black, mean age 54 years, SD 6), 4.4% had OH. Among those without OH (N=11 943), 19% had supine hypertension and 21% had standing hypotension, while among those with OH (N=546), 58% had supine hypertension and 38% had standing hypotension. Associations with outcomes did not differ by OH status (P-interactions >0.25). Supine hypertension was associated with heart failure (hazard ratio, 1.83 [95% CI, 1.68–1.99]), falls (hazard ratio, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.02–1.22]), and all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.45 [95% CI, 1.37–1.54]), while standing hypotension was only significantly associated with mortality (hazard ratio, 1.06 [95% CI, 1.00–1.14]). CONCLUSIONS: Supine hypertension was associated with higher risk of adverse events than standing hypotension, regardless of OH status. This challenges conventional OH management, which prioritizes standing hypotension over supine hypertension.