Postural hypotension relating to falls in the elderly

Includes bibliographical references.The purpose of this thesis was to test the following hypothesis: Elderly individuals who experience postural hypotension will have a greater number of falls in the home setting than elderly individuals who do not experience postural hypotension. The population consisted of 33 persons, 30 females and 3 males, age 65 and over who lived in a community setting. Postural hypotension was defined as any decrease in the mean blood pressure and the presence of symptoms. Falls were defined as a complete or partial drop to the floor. A prospective study design with a cohort was used. Personal variables included age, sex, health conditions, and medications. The cohorts were followed forward for three weeks to determine any relationship between elderly with postural hypotension and falls. Ten persons were defined as having postural hypotension; 6 of these had falls. Of the remaining 23 who did not have postural hypotension, 3 had falls. Chi square was applied to the data and was significant at the .01 level.M.S. (Master of Science