What is a common characteristic of a patient's vital signs when experiencing orthostatic hypotension?

When a patient is experiencing orthostatic hypotension, a common characteristic is an increased heart rate. This occurs as a compensatory mechanism in response to a drop in blood pressure when a person moves from a supine (lying down) to an upright position. The sudden change in position can lead to decreased venous return to the heart, resulting in lower cardiac output and subsequently reduced blood pressure. To counteract this drop and maintain adequate perfusion to vital organs, the body responds by increasing the heart rate.

Moreover, the other options do not reflect the physiological changes typically associated with orthostatic hypotension. Elevated blood pressure is generally not seen in this condition; rather, blood pressure tends to decrease. A decreased respiratory rate would not be expected as the body does not have a direct correlation with respiratory rate in this scenario. Similarly, changes in blood glucose levels are not characteristic of orthostatic hypotension, which primarily affects hemodynamics rather than metabolic processes.