POTS Explained: Why Fidji Simo Is Stepping Down From OpenAI

Fidji Simo is stepping down from her full-time executive role at OpenAI and will transition to a part-time advisor, Business Insider reported. Simo, OpenAI’s applications CEO, said in an X post that she is leaving because of a chronic illness. She was diagnosed with postural tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, in 2019 and took a temporary medical leave in April to treat the condition.

The key takeaway for readers: POTS can be serious enough to affect daily life and work, even for high-profile executives. Simo wrote that recovery was “much longer and more complex” than she had anticipated and said she needed to focus on it fully.

POTS affects the autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary functions including blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says people with POTS often experience orthostatic intolerance: symptoms that occur when standing and are relieved by lying down.

Those symptoms can happen because not enough blood flows back to the heart when a person moves from lying down or sitting to standing. That helps explain why dizziness, fainting, heart palpitations, and lightheadedness are central signs to watch.

Anyone can be diagnosed with POTS, but Business Insider reported that it mostly affects people between 15 and 50 years old and is more common in women than in men. The National Institutes of Health says POTS can commonly begin after pregnancy, major surgery, puberty, trauma, or a viral illness, and people with a family history are at higher risk.

A classic symptom is a fast heartbeat, especially when standing. Other reported symptoms include dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, heart palpitations, blurred or tunnel vision, leg weakness, chest pain or other pain, fatigue, sleep problems, digestive issues, shortness of breath, and difficulty concentrating.

The NIH says scientists are not sure exactly what causes POTS, and diagnosis typically starts with a medical history and symptom review. Doctors may also measure heart rate and blood pressure and observe how the body responds to position changes, such as standing up quickly.

Treatment focuses on managing blood-flow problems and low blood volume. Some medications may offer short-term relief, while lifestyle changes such as increasing salt intake and staying hydrated can help lessen symptoms. Some people with long-term COVID have developed POTS, though scientists are still determining why; related symptoms can include anxiety, depression, cognitive issues, brain fog, and sleep problems.