Sarcopenia and orthostatic hypotension (OH) are growing age-related health challenges associated with adverse outcomes in older adults. Despite a possible pathophysiological link via the skeletal muscle pump of the lower limbs, their relationship is not well elucidated. We sought to characterise the relationship between sarcopenia, blood pressure (BP) recovery and OH in attendees to a falls and syncope clinic aged 50 years and older.
109 participants underwent active stand with beat-to-beat BP measurements. Hand grip strength and 5-chair stands time were measured. Bioelectrical impedance analysis was performed, and the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People guidelines were used to classify participants into robust, probable sarcopenia and sarcopenia groups. Mixed effects models with linear splines were used to model the effect of sarcopenia status on BP after standing while controlling for potential confounders and heart rate.
Sarcopenia was associated with an attenuated recovery of both systolic and diastolic BP during the key 10-20s time-period after standing, increasing the risk of OH. This effect is independent of the heart rate response, and other confounders, and therefore may be mediated via the skeletal muscle pump.