Evaluating non-drug therapies in older people with OH
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Non-drug therapies for orthostatic hypotension in older people - determining basic efficacy and acceptability
IRAS ID
183731
Contact name
James Frith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 18 days
Research summary
When we stand upright gravity pulls blood down towards our feet, so our body must respond by increasing blood pressure to keep blood flowing to the brain. When this mechanism fails it is known as orthostatic hypotension (OH). It affects 3.5 million older people in the UK and results in a reduced quality of life, high symptom burden (dizziness, falls, blackouts, fatigue) and an increased chance of death.
People affected by OH say the research priority should be to improve their quality of life but without more tablets. Currently the non-drug therapies used include drinking a glass of water quickly, compression stockings, and muscle contractions during standing. However, the research studies that suggest they work are small, very low quality and relate to younger people.
Given that OH is predominantly a condition of older people it is important to determine whether these therapies work in this age group. This study will invite older people with OH to attend the Falls and Syncope Service in Newcastle’s RVI. Here we will perform a detailed blood pressure assessment and administer each non-drug therapy to see whether it elicits a positive response on their standing blood pressure. We have calculated that six participants out of 25 will need a positive response for us to consider it as effective.
Following these visits we would like to interview the participants to find out whether the therapies are acceptable and what the barriers to their uptake would be.
The results will help us to select which therapies are worthy of further evaluation in a clinical trial and help us develop a way of helping people stick to the therapies in the long term.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NE/0308
Date of REC Opinion
28 Sep 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion