Postprandial Hypotension and Spinal Cord Injury

Postprandial hypotension (PPH) is defined as a fall of >= 20 mmHg in systolic blood pressure (SBP) or a SBP of 100 mmHg before the meal within two hours after a meal. The prevalence of PPH among persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) is unknown. Ambulatory blood pressure measurement was performed in 158 persons with SCI, 109 men, median age was 59.1 years (min.:13.2; max.: 86.2). In total, 78 persons (49.4%) had PPH after 114 out of 449 meals (25.4%). The median change in SBP during PPH was -28 mmHg (min.: -87; max.: -15 mmHg) and 96% of the PPH episodes were asymptomatic. The occurrence of PPH was correlated to older age (p = 0.001), level of injury (p = 0.023), and complete SCI (p = 0.000), but not, gender or time since injury. Further studies are needed to elucidate if PPH contributes to the increased cardiovascular mortality in the SCI population.

Automated summary

Postprandial hypotension (PPH) occurs in almost half of SCI patients after meals, with 96% of episodes being asymptomatic. The study also found that PPH is associated with older age, level of injury, and complete SCI, but further research is needed to determine if PPH contributes to the increased cardiovascular mortality in the SCI population.