scholarly journals Canadian Cardiovascular Society Position Statement on Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and Related Disorders of Chronic Orthostatic Intolerance

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satish R. Raj ◽  
Juan C. Guzman ◽  
Paula Harvey ◽  
Lawrence Richer ◽  
Ronald Schondorf ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeleine Johansson ◽  
Fabrizio Ricci ◽  
Janin Schulte ◽  
Margaretha Persson ◽  
Olle Melander ◽  
...  

AbstractPostural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a cardiovascular autonomic disorder with poorly understood etiology and underlying pathophysiology. Since cardiovascular morbidity has been linked to growth hormone (GH), we studied GH levels in patients with POTS. We conducted an age-sex-matched case–control study in patients with POTS (age 31 ± 9 years; n = 42) and healthy controls (32 ± 9 years; n = 46). Plasma GH levels were measured using high-sensitivity chemiluminescence sandwich immunoassay. The burden of orthostatic intolerance symptoms was assessed by the Orthostatic Hypotension Questionnaire (OHQ), consisting of a symptom assessment scale (OHSA) and a daily activity scale (OHDAS). POTS patients had significantly higher composite OHQ score than controls, more symptoms and less activity. Supine heart rate and diastolic blood pressure (BP), but not systolic BP, were significantly higher in POTS. Median plasma GH levels were significantly lower in POTS (0.53 ng/mL) than controls (2.33 ng/mL, p = 0.04). GH levels were inversely related to OHDAS in POTS and supine systolic BP in POTS and controls, but not heart rate neither group. POTS is associated with lower GH levels. Impairment of daily life activities is inversely related with GH in POTS. A higher supine diastolic BP is inversely associated with GH levels in POTS and healthy individuals.


Author(s):  
Chandralekha Ashangari ◽  
Samreen F Asghar ◽  
Sadaf Syed ◽  
Amna A Butt ◽  
Amer Suleman

Background: Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is an autonomic disturbance characterized by the clinical symptoms of orthostatic intolerance, mainly light headedness, fatigue, sweating, tremor, anxiety, palpitation, exercise intolerance and near syncope on upright posture. These are relieved on lying down. Patients also have a heart rate >120 beats/min (bpm) on standing or increase their heart rate by 30 bpm from a resting heart rate after standing for 10 min. A nerve conduction study (NCS) is a medical diagnostic test commonly used to evaluate the function, especially the ability of electrical conduction, of the motor and sensory nerves of the human body. The aim of this study is to demonstrate median, ulnar, peroneal, tibial nerve conduction results POTS patients. Methods: 177 patients were selected randomly from our clinic with POTS. Nerve conduction results of median, ulnar, peroneal, tibial nerves were reviewed from electronic medical records. Results: Out of 177 patients, 151 patients are females (85%, n=151, age 32.07±11.10), 26 patients are males (15%, n=26, age 29.08±17.40).Median nerve conduction results are 57.83 m/sec ±7.58 m/sec, Ulnar nerve conduction results are 56.62 m/sec ±6.85 m/sec, Peroneal nerve conduction results are 49.96 m/sec ±6.85 m/sec, Tibial nerve conduction results are 50.70 m/sec ±6.86 m/sec. Conclusion: The nerve conduction velocities tend to be within normal range in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) patients.


2016 ◽  
Vol 119 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad M Ahsan ◽  
Tara Thompson ◽  
Chandralekha Ashangari ◽  
Amer Suleman

Background: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a form of dysautonomia that is estimated to impact between 1,000,000 and 3,000,000 Americans and millions more around the world. Patients chronically have symptoms that are worse with upright posture and that improve with recumbence. Symptoms often include orthostatic intolerance such as dizziness, fatigue, excessive sweating and many others. The aim of this study is to determine the variation of symptoms early morning after wake up and evening at 4 PM. Methods: The Autonomic nervous system questionnaire consisting of eight POTS symptoms palpitations, headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath(SOB), chest pain, weakness, blurred vision and heaviness of feet was handover to the patients at our clinic. 42 POTS patients participated in the study, participated patients had been asked to scale their symptoms early morning after wake up and evening at 4 PM. Symptoms were defined 0 as Never,1 as mild,2 as moderate,3 as severe ,4 as extreme and 5 impairing daily function and living. Results: Out of 42 POTS patients 90% are female (38/42, age 31.74±10.67) and 10% are males (4/42, age 30.75±13.20), symptoms were scaled early morning after wake up vs symptoms scaled evening at 4 pm results in mean±SD and Anova P value. Palpitations 1.69±1.32 vs 2.45±1.38 (P =0.01), Dizziness 2.40±1.38 vs 2.67±1.46 (P =0.40), Chest pain 0.93±1.02 vs 1.52±1.27 (P=0.02), SOB 1.36±1.32 vs 1.81±1.40 (P=0.13), Weakness 2.79±1.37 vs 3.12±1.38 (P=0.27), Blurred vision 1.38±1.29 vs 1.48±1.27 (P=0.73), Headaches 1.74±1.36 vs 2.52±1.38 (P =0.01), Heaviness of feet 0.95±1.19 vs 1.43±1.53 (P =0.11). Conclusion: Our study results demonstrated that the patients with POTS had significant variation in symptoms Palpitations, Chest pain, Headaches in evenings when compared to early morning after wake up.


ESC CardioMed ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 2032-2037
Author(s):  
Artur Fedorowski

The impairment of adaptive mechanisms during orthostatic challenge may evoke orthostatic intolerance, a heterogeneous condition, in which the standing position elicits a fall in blood pressure and/or excessive tachycardia, accompanied by a wide spectrum of subjective symptoms such as dizziness, discomfort, nausea, and palpitations. Apart from chronic and potentially debilitating symptoms, orthostatic intolerance may occasionally lead to sudden loss of consciousness and fall injuries. Consequently, orthostatic intolerance should be considered as a possible cause of unexplained syncope. Two main forms of orthostatic intolerance are orthostatic hypotension (OH) and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Clinical variants of OH include initial, classical, and delayed forms. The prevalence of OH increases with age, ranging from less than 5% under 40 years to about 20% above 70 years of age, and is higher in chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, reaching above 35% in Parkinson’s disease and advanced kidney failure. The presence of OH is associated with a higher mortality and an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, with the majority of patients being asymptomatic in normal conditions. In contrast, POTS affects predominantly young women (70–80%) within an age range of 15–40 years and is usually accompanied by non-specific symptoms: deconditioning, headache, cognitive impairment, and gastrointestinal dysfunction. Management of orthostatic intolerance includes both non-pharmacological and pharmacological methods with limited efficacy in the severe cases. Empirical treatment with vasoactive and volume expanding drugs for OH and POTS, and rhythm controlling therapy for POTS are recommended. Future studies on syndromes of orthostatic intolerance should focus on mechanisms leading to OH and POTS, novel diagnostic methods, and more effective therapeutic options.


ESC CardioMed ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 2032-2037
Author(s):  
Artur Fedorowski

The impairment of adaptive mechanisms during orthostatic challenge may evoke orthostatic intolerance, a heterogeneous condition, in which the standing position elicits a fall in blood pressure and/or excessive tachycardia, accompanied by a wide spectrum of subjective symptoms such as dizziness, discomfort, nausea, and palpitations. Apart from chronic and potentially debilitating symptoms, orthostatic intolerance may occasionally lead to sudden loss of consciousness and fall injuries. Consequently, orthostatic intolerance should be considered as a possible cause of unexplained syncope. Two main forms of orthostatic intolerance are orthostatic hypotension (OH) and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Clinical variants of OH include initial, classical, and delayed forms. The prevalence of OH increases with age, ranging from less than 5% under 40 years to about 20% above 70 years of age, and is higher in chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, reaching above 35% in Parkinson’s disease and advanced kidney failure. The presence of OH is associated with a higher mortality and an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, with the majority of patients being asymptomatic in normal conditions. In contrast, POTS affects predominantly young women (70–80%) within an age range of 15–40 years and is usually accompanied by non-specific symptoms: deconditioning, headache, cognitive impairment, and gastrointestinal dysfunction. Management of orthostatic intolerance includes both non-pharmacological and pharmacological methods with limited efficacy in the severe cases. Empirical treatment with vasoactive and volume expanding drugs for OH and POTS, and rhythm controlling therapy for POTS are recommended. Future studies on syndromes of orthostatic intolerance should focus on mechanisms leading to OH and POTS, novel diagnostic methods, and more effective therapeutic options.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. e229824
Author(s):  
Andrew T Del Pozzi ◽  
Michael Enechukwu ◽  
Svetlana Blitshteyn

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a heterogeneous autonomic disorder characterised by orthostatic intolerance and a rise in heart rate by at least 30 bpm or an absolute heart rate value of at least 120 bpm within 10 min of standing or during a tilt table test. Overwhelmingly, POTS affects young Caucasian women, which can lead physicians to miss the diagnosis in men or non-white patients. We describe a case of 29-year-old African-American man who developed lightheadedness, generalised weakness, tachycardia and palpitations and was subsequently diagnosed with POTS. We review its clinical features, differential diagnosis, pathophysiology and treatment options. We also emphasise that POTS should be considered as a differential diagnosis in any patient presenting with typical clinical features, who may not be in the usual demographics of the disorder.


2000 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 1505-1512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian M. Stewart ◽  
Amy Weldon

Chronic orthostatic intolerance is often related to the postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). POTS is characterized by upright tachycardia. Understanding of its pathophysiology remains incomplete, but edema and acrocyanosis of the lower extremities occur frequently. To determine how arterial and venous vascular properties account for these findings, we compared 13 patients aged 13–18 yr with 10 normal controls. Heart rate and blood pressure were continuously recorded, and strain-gauge plethysmography was used to measure forearm and calf blood flow, venous compliance, and microvascular filtration while the subject was supine and to measure calf blood flow and calf size change during head-up tilt. Resting venous pressure was higher in POTS compared with control (16 vs. 10 mmHg), which gave the appearance of decreased compliance in these patients. The threshold for edema formation decreased in POTS patients compared with controls (8.3 vs. 16.3 mmHg). With tilt, early calf blood flow increased in POTS patients (from 3.4 ± 0.9 to 12.6 ± 2.3 ml · 100 ml−1 · min−1) but did not increase in controls. Calf volume increased twice as much in POTS patients compared with controls over a shorter time of orthostasis. The data suggest that resting venous pressure is higher and the threshold for edema is lower in POTS patients compared with controls. Such findings make the POTS patients particularly vulnerable for edema fluid collection. This may signify a redistribution of blood to the lower extremities even while supine, accounting for tachycardia through vagal withdrawal.


2020 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Celletti ◽  
Beatrice Borsellino ◽  
Marco Castori ◽  
Federica Censi ◽  
Giovanni Calcagnini ◽  
...  

There is an association between joint hypermobility, hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and different forms of orthostatic intolerance. Objective: to explore autonomic profile in a large cohort of adults with hEDS and hypermobility spectrum disorder (hEDS/HSD) with a multimodal approach. In this observational retrospective study, heart rate, blood pressure and baroreflex sensitivity were estimated in 102 hEDS/HSD subjects during deep breathing, Valsalva maneuver, standing up: 30-15 ratio, Head-Up Tilt and sustained handgrip. Abnormal results and head-up tilt test were common and included postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS; 48%), orthostatic intolerance (25.5%) and hypotension (3.9%). Baroreflex sensitivity was significantly different in individuals with POTS compared to the others. This study confirms the high rate and heterogeneity of abnormal autonomic regulation in hEDS/HSD, and suggests the baroreflex sensitivity might distinguish comorbid POTS from other profiles in this subgroup of patients. Abnormal autonomic regulation is common in adults with hEDS/HSD and should be regularly assessed for tailoring the management approach.


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