To our knowledge, the results of our research showed that the prevalence of malnutrition and OH were 45.07% and 18.13%. CC, UAC, and HGS all three screening tools had a moderate effect in diagnosing malnutrition. It also revealed that malnutrition diagnosed by GLIM-UAC, DM, female and long-term use of diuretics were risk factors for OH in hypertensive elderly patients.
Our study used the latest consensus, GLIM, to diagnose malnutrition. This is an easy way for clinicians to apply the available tools and methods [18]. In our sample, the results of the three muscle mass loss diagnosing tools, HGS, CC, and UAC, were validated to have a moderate accuracy in diagnosing malnutrition, using FFMI as the gold standard. Sanchez-Rodriguez D used the same methodology as ours to reach similar conclusions. But they were in the community, and we were in the elderly who were hospitalized [13]. Similarly, a survey in Spain yielded similar results [20]. Therefore, we believe that measurements of CC, UAC, and HGS can be used in place of FFMI in limited settings such as primary hospitals or communities, and recommended to first refine the measurement of CC, HGS, and UAC in high-risk populations.
Previous studies have reported that both malnutrition and malnutrition risk were associated with OH [14, 21]. Our findings suggested that malnutrition diagnosed by GLIM-UAC is a risk factor for OH in elderly hypertensive patients. However, this was not observed in several other diagnoses such as GLIM-CC, which may be the reason for the presence of invisible lower extremity edema in the elderly, affecting the results of CC and BIA measurements. Vitamins as one the important nutrients, numerous studies have found that vitamin D plays an important role in OH [22], and this conclusion has been verified in both men and women [23, 24]. It is considered that vitamin D has a role in blood pressure control and intravascular volume, vitamin D deficiency may promote OH through this mechanism. Vitamin D affects the vasopressor response by down regulating the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and may be involved in regulating the vascular response in the upright state. At the same time, vitamin D metabolites modulate the gene expression of neurotrophic factors, resulting in decreased compensatory mechanisms during standing [25]. However, studies conducted in older Irish communities contradicted our conclusions [22, 26]. Because malnutrition is preventable, nutritional status should be examined when assessing changes in blood pressure, especially in elderly hypertensive patients. Meanwhile, as another important nutrient, about 50%-75% of protein is stored in skeletal muscle[27]. Protein intake is a master regulator of muscle protein metabolism, affecting the regulation of the dynamic and transient balance between muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and muscle protein breakdown (MPB). Inadequate protein intake can lead to sarcopenia and frailty through multiple mechanisms [28]. And in present, the correlation between OH and muscle mass reduction has been confirmed by multiple studies [29–31].
Our findings proposed that long-term diuretic use and DM were risk factors for OH. Diuretics increase natriuresis and lead to a decrease in urine output, especially in the elderly. Loop diuretics also increase venous volume, which reduces venous return and cardiac output. Several studies reported a significant association of diuretics with OH [32, 33]. Therefore, drug screening is recommended as a first-line approach to OH's diagnostic and therapeutic workup. It should be aimed at evaluating their indications and benefits to assess discontinuation or dose reduction. With DM being a common condition, DM-related autonomic dysfunction is often considered to be the main mechanism leading to delayed blood pressure recovery as it impairs the pressure reflex-mediated response to blood pressure recovery from hypotension. Similarly, it has been shown that DM patients are significantly more likely to experience OH after thirty seconds of standing than those without DM [34].
This study has certain clinical significance. Considering the risk factors derived from the results, medication and disease management should be included in the actual health management of older adults, especially those with HTN, DM and chronic diuretic use. patient. In addition, nutritional screening should be strengthened, and early detection and diagnosis of malnutrition may facilitate the detection of OH. However, there were some limitations in the present study. First, our study is a cross-sectional, single-center study, and observed associations could not establish a causal nexus between malnutrition and OH. And next, the specific types of diuretics were not analyzed and compared. Further prospective studies are needed to explore the relationship between OH and malnutrition in elderly hypertensive hospitalized patients.