The complexity of diagnosing postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: influence of the diurnal variability

Abstract

We investigated how the diagnosis of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) would be changed due to diurnal variability in orthostatic tachycardia. The orthostatic vital sign test was administered to each patient twice, in the afternoon of the day of admission and the next morning (n = 113). Forty-six patients were diagnosed with POTS, and the remaining 67 patients were assigned to non-POTS group. Heart rate increments after standing were larger in the morning than in the afternoon in every group (all P < .001). Among the POTS patients, 82.6% fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for POTS in the morning and 52.2% in the afternoon. Most POTS group (65.2%) displayed normal result on single orthostatic vital sign test. Orthostatic intolerance symptoms were provoked in only 45.7% of the POTS patients, more frequently in the morning. In conclusion, diurnal variability in hemodynamic parameters and provoked symptoms significantly challenged the diagnosis of POTS.

Keywords: Postural tachycardia syndrome; diurnal variability; orthostatic hypotension; orthostatic intolerance; orthostatic tachycardia.