‘Jeopardy!’ apologizes for using insensitive term to describe medical condition: ‘Outdated and inaccurate’

Updated: Jun 23, 2021 / 02:46 PM CDT

The producers of “Jeopardy!” have apologized for using an “outdated and insensitive term” to describe a medical condition after a number of viewers voiced their complaints about a clue included on Monday’s episode.(Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

(NEXSTAR) — The producers of “Jeopardy!” have apologized for using an “outdated and insensitive term” to describe a medical condition after a number of viewers voiced their complaints about a clue included on Monday’s episode.

The clue concerned postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, a condition of the nervous system that affects the blood flow of patients.

The clue, as read by guest host Savannah Guthrie, was presented as follows: “Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome is also known as Grinch syndrome because this organ is too small.”

“What is the heart?” was the response the show’s judges were after.

Viewers took to Twitter to call out “Jeopardy!” for using the insensitive term. Many also noted that the clue itself was inaccurate, as those with POTS do not have smaller hearts, but rather difficulties balancing blood pressure and heart rates, among other symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

“Grinch syndrome is an offensive term,” read one response posted to Twitter by Dysautonomia International, an organization that raises awareness for disorders of the nervous system. “Can you imagine Jeopardy making light of cancer or MS patients with a ‘funny’ name for their debilitating health condition? Not acceptable. We’d love to see real questions about the autonomic nervous system.”

Hey @Jeopardy no one with any credibility calls POTS "Grinch Syndrome." Promoting outdated misogynistic terms to describe a debilitating autonomic nervous system disorder that impacts millions of Americans is not cool. We request an apology on behalf of our community. Do better.
— Dysautonomia Intl. (@Dysautonomia) June 22, 2021

On Tuesday afternoon, the official Twitter account of “Jeopardy!” posted an apology.

“Yesterday’s program included a clue about postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). After hearing from the community, we found we used an outdated and inaccurate term for this disorder, and we apologize,” the tweet read.

Yesterday’s program included a clue about postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). After hearing from the community, we found we used an outdated and inaccurate term for this disorder, and we apologize.
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) June 22, 2021

POTS, a condition affecting circulation, is described as a form of “orthostatic intolerance” by the Cleveland Clinic. Symptoms in POTS patients are said to be brought on by standing upright from a reclined position, and can include racing heartbeats, dizziness, fainting, chest pain and blurred vision, among several others.

POTS affects between 1 and 3 million people in the United States, mainly women, per the Cleveland Clinic. Researchers say some patients have even developed POTS after recovering from COVID-19, as POTS can be triggered by bacterial or viral infections, according to Johns Hopkins.