Efficacy of pharmacological management of orthostatic hypotension- a
systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
Introduction Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is associated with
cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Non-pharmacological and
pharmacological therapies are employed in the management of OH. The aim
of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to provide an up-to-date
review of the efficacy parameters of pharmacological therapies. Methods
Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus were searched
(inception-July 2021), and published articles with randomized control
trials, meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria were quality assessed
(Risk of Bias 2 tool). Assessment for trends in patient-related outcome
measures and postural blood pressure improvement was undertaken. Studies
reporting postural systolic blood pressure (SBP) before and after
intervention in comparison to placebo were included in a meta-analysis
using inverse -variance in a random-effects model. Results 19 articles
were included in the systematic review. The orthostatic symptoms
questionnaire (OHQ) was the most common patient-related outcome measure
utilized in trials. Six studies included in the meta-analysis
demonstrated that pharmacological therapies (pyridostigmine, midodrine,
atomoxetine, yohimbine) improved postural SBP compared to placebo, with
a mean rise of 12.50 mmHg [95% CI: 6.01, 18.98; p
value<0.001, I2 =97%]. Midodrine showed the highest impact
on SBP, with a mean SBP of 16.11 mmHg [95% CI: 5.59, 26.63; p=0.003,
I2 =99%]. Conclusions Pharmacological treatment can significantly
increase postural SBP, however with significant heterogeneity related to
trial designs. Further efforts to homogenize outcome measures,
incorporating symptom improvement and reduction in the postural drop and
testing for a prolonged duration of therapy would strengthen the
evidence, and improve the translatability of findings in clinical
settings.