Arterial stiffness as the candidate underlying mechanism for postural blood pressure changes and orthostatic hypotension in older adults: the Rotterdam Study

Arterial stiffness is independently associated with orthostatic hypotension. The drop in blood pressure levels and the contemporary attenuated response of heart rate to orthostatic challenge in subjects with stiffer arteries support the hypothesis that arterial stiffness may explain, at least in part, the reduced baroreflex observed in older adults.