Published online Jul 16, 2015. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v3.i7.655
Peer-review started: July 12, 2014
First decision: August 14, 2014
Revised: March 3, 2015
Accepted: April 10, 2015
Article in press: April 14, 2015
Published online: July 16, 2015
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a relatively rare syndrome recognised since 1940. It is a heterogenous condition with orthostatic intolerance due to dysautonomia and is characterised by rise in heart rate above 30 bpm from base line or to more than 120 bpm within 5-10 min of standing with or without change in blood pressure which returns to base line on resuming supine position. This condition present with various disabling symptoms such as light headedness, near syncope, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, tremor, palpitations and mental clouding, etc. However there are no identifiable signs on clinical examination and patients are often diagnosed to have anxiety disorder. The condition predominantly affects young female between the ages of 15-50 but is rarely described in older people. We describe an older patient who developed POTS which recovered over 12 mo. Recognising this condition is important as there are treatment options available to alleviate the disabling symptoms.
Core tip: This is a short report and literature review on postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). POTS commonly affects younger patients and is rarely reversible. Here we describe an older patient who presented with disabling POTS which was reversed. Although rare, it is now being recognised in older people and increasing awareness among geriatricians is important as early diagnosis and treatment may alleviate the disabling symptoms. Reviewing the literature we argue whether hypotension should be considered as a feature of POTS.