2016 Volume 109 Issue 9 Pages 611-616
This retrospective study was performed to clarify the relation between orthostatic blood pressure elevation (OBPE) and dizziness. Data of 188 outpatients who visited Kure Medical Center in 2013 for dizziness were analyzed. OBPE was defined as a greater than 5 mmHg increase of the systolic blood pressure just after and/or 10 minutes after the patient stood up in the Schellong test. OBPE without any other significant findings on routine examination was diagnosed in 24 patients. Tofisopam, which is known to normalize sympathetic nerve hypersensitivity, was administered to 4 of the 24 patients. In 3 of these 4 patients, the Schellong test was repeated after two weeks of treatment with tofisopam. Both the dizziness and OBPE had resolved completely by this time in all of the 3 patients. All of these 3 patients reported being exposed to some kind of chronic stress. Our findings suggest that sympathetic nerve hypersensitivity might cause both OBPE and dizziness, and that chronic stress might induce sympathetic nerve hypersensitivity.
