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Worsening of Symptoms Before Presentation with Vasovagal Syncope
Author(s) -
SHELDON ROBERT S.,
SHELDON AARON G.,
SERLETIS ANNA,
CONNOLLY STUART J.,
MORILLO CARLOS A.,
KLINGENHEBEN THOMAS,
KRAHN ANDREW D.,
KOSHMAN MARYLOU,
RITCHIE DEBBIE
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.193
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1540-8167
pISSN - 1045-3873
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-8167.2007.00892.x
Subject(s) - medicine , syncope (phonology) , vasovagal syncope , fainting , population , pediatrics , referral , cardiology , anesthesia , environmental health , family medicine
Much of the natural history of vasovagal syncope is unknown. We determined whether patients presenting for care have had a recently worsened syncope frequency. Methods and Results: We compared 208 subjects in the referral‐based Prevention of Syncope Trial (POST) and 122 subjects who fainted ≥1 in a community survey study. Their mean ages and gender proportions were similar. The POST population had a higher median lifetime syncope frequency (1.16 vs 0.12 spells/year, P < 0.0001) and more subjects began fainting at age ≥35 years (26% vs 6%, P < 0.0001). In POST, the median frequency of syncopal spells in the preceding year was higher than in all previous years (3 vs 0.57, P < 0.0001). POST subjects presented sooner after their first spell (median 11.0 vs 16.8 years, P = 0.0002), and after their last spell (median 0.3 vs 7.4 years, P < 0.0001). POST subjects ≥35 years old had a shorter history than similar community‐survey subjects (2.8 vs 14.9 y, P < 0.0001) and presented earlier after their first syncopal spell than POST subjects with a younger onset of syncope (median 2.8 vs 14.7 y, P < 0.0001), despite having fewer faints (median 6 vs 10, P = 0.0002). Conclusions: Many syncope patients present for care after a recent worsening of their frequency of syncope.