[Abstract] Aortic stiffness and central systolic pressure are associated with orthostatic hypotension in patients with chronic kidney disease

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is common cardiovascular problem affecting older adults, and is associated with falls, stroke and chronic kidney disease (CKD). This postural drop (PD) in blood pressure (BP) has been independently associated with increased aortic stiffness in older adults. Aortic stiffness is a modifiable cardiovascular risk factor, and measureable non-invasively. We investigated the association between OH, aortic stiffness and central aortic systolic pressure (CSP) in CKD patients (ACADEMIC cohort). Design and method: Postural BP changes were measured in one-hundred and forty-six patients (mean age 68.6 SD±11.4, 75% male, 21% diabetic) using 24-hour-ambulatory blood pressure monitoring with postural sensing (Diasys Integra II®, Novacor, France). Patients were divided into those with systolic postural drop (SPD, n=23, mean standing systolic BP