Uncommon Autonomic Tachycardia Syndrome Linked to Classic Dermatomyositis

— Classic DM in about 90% of patients with concurrent POTS, but autoimmune mechanisms unclear

July 23, 2026

• 3 min read

Classic dermatomyositis (DM) had a significant association with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a retrospective study found.Patients with DM and concurrent POTS were all women and significantly younger than patients with DM alone.Cutaneous lupus erythematosus, with or without systemic lupus, did not have a significant association with POTS.

Autonomic tachycardia has a significantly stronger association with classic dermatomyositis (DM) than previously recognized and may warrant evaluation in symptomatic patients, authors of a retrospective review concluded.