Nutrition for POTS Part 2 Presented by Luke Hassan, APD
Dietary assessment and intervention for Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
Get clear on the emerging role of the dietitian in supporting individuals with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). If your practice includes gastrointestinal, eating disorders or mental health, you’ll recognise these client presentations and want to know more.
Following an overview of POTS in Part 1, Luke offers insight to the nutrition assessment and intervention. Nutrition impacts symptoms guide the rationale for dietary input, with broad indications for referral:
- Low appetite
- Altered eating routine
- Unexplained weight loss
- Symptoms interrupting eating
- Poor hydration
- Uncomfortable, poorly timed bowel movements
- Significant food restrictions
Assessment considerations include disordered eating, other co-morbid invisible illnesses, GIT impacts and a significant list of POTS-specific symptoms- all which can impact on appetite, eating relationship, function, preference and individualised needs. POTS-specific nutrition interventions involve salt, fluid and carbohydrates; alongside the more global eating competencies of appetite, routine and adequacy.
Luke presents two case studies, which span the full spectrum of complexity and resolution, highlighting value of dietetic involvement for these individuals with POTS. And, no doubt, the value of pursuing more research and understanding of this topic.
Nutrition for POTS Part 1 Nutrition intervention is the first presentation in this two-part series.
Luke has also presented for Education in Nutrition on Long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome
Luke Hassan is the lead dietitian at Active Health Clinic in Melbourne, where their mission is to 'Make Invisible Illness Visible'. Luke has a special interest in lesser-known chronic conditions such as ME/CFS, Dysautonomia's including Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Connective Tissue Disorders like Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, PASC / Long Covid, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. He is incredibly passionate about the difference that proper, individualised nutrition advice can have in the lives of people that live with these illnesses, and it is his personal mission to make them as well-known, well-researched and well-treated as our more common chronic health conditions.