Syncope in the older patient: initial evaluation and Emergency Department management according to 2018 European Society of Cardiology guidelines

The prevalence of syncope increases with advancing age and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The diagnosis within this population can be complex due to atypical presentations, amnesia for events, absence of witnesses and the overlap with other clinical presentations, as falls. The recent reappraisal of the European Society of Cardiology guidelines on syncope, proposes a structured assessment and management, which is enforceable also in the older patient, with special attention to some additional features, pertinent to age-related comorbidity and frailty

High blood pressure and syncope: orthostatic hypotension as a link.

The prevalence of hypertension increases with the age. Diagnostic criteria are the same as for the young, but in older adults isolated systolic hypertension is more frequent, due to loss of vascular compliance. Blood pressure should be measured on both sides in the seated position, moreover in the supine and upright position to detect orthostatic hypotension. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is useful to detect white coat hypertension and masked hypertension, to tailor the treatment and search for diurnal and nocturnal blood pressure pattern abnormalities. Given that frailty can affect the relationship between blood pressure and mortality, the clinician should properly evaluate and monitor physical performance and cognitive status, throughout specific tools, as the Fried Frailty Phenotype, aiming at a systolic blood pressure target between 130 and 150 mmHg. Before starting hypotensive drugs, a careful risk and benefits' evaluation should be performed given the high risk of hypertension and hypotension consequences and the frequent coexistence of orthostatic hypotension, which predisposes to syncope and falls. RiassuntoLa prevalenza dell'ipertensione arteriosa aumenta con l'età. I criteri diagnostici sono gli stessi previsti nel giovane, nell'anziano tuttavia si osserva più frequentemente ipertensione sistolica isolata, dovuta a perdita dell'elasticità vascolare. Ai fini diagnostici, la misurazione della pressione arteriosa bilateralmente in posizione seduta, deve essere integrata con la ricerca di ipotensione ortostatica. Il monitoraggio della pressione arteriosa nelle 24h è indicato per la conferma diagnostica, per la ricerca di "white coat hypertension" e "masked hypertension", per monitorare la risposta terapeutica e ricercare alterazioni del ritmo circadiano. I benefici della terapia antiipertensiva sono noti, tuttavia un trattamento troppo aggressivo si è dimostrato dannoso, rendendo la gestione dell'ipertensione arteriosa nell'anziano ancora più complessa. Data l'influenza della fragilità sulla relazione tra pressione arteriosa e mortalità, il clinico dovrebbe avvalersi di adeguati strumenti per la definizione di performance fisica e cognitiva ed il monitoraggio nel tempo, mirando ad un target di pressione arteriosa sistolica compreso tra 130 e 150 mmHg. Rischi e benefici della terapia antiipertensiva dovrebbero essere attentamente valutati prima di intraprendere un trattamento, data la possibilità di eventi correlati sia all'ipertensione che all'ipotensione e la frequente coesistenza di ipotensione ortostatica, che incrementa il rischio di eventi sincopali e cadute. Nell'anziano iperteso con storia di sincope e cadute il trattamento dovrebbe quindi essere intrapreso una volta confermata la diagnosi, mirando ad un target pressorio più contenuto e con una scelta ponderata dei principi attivi.</p

Additional diagnostic value of implantable loop recorder in patients with initial diagnosis of real or apparent transient loss of consciousness of uncertain origin

Aims Non-syncopal transient loss of consciousness (T-LOC) encompasses disorders that sometimes resemble syncope, and the differential diagnosis with true syncope may be challenging. The implantable loop recorder (ILR) is potentially useful, but has never been systematically assessed. The aim of the study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of ILR in distinguishing syncope from non-syncopal forms of T-LOC. Methods and results We implanted an ILR in 58 patients (mean age 71 ± 17 years, 25 males) who had had 4.6 ± 2.3 episodes of real or apparent T-LOC, in order to distinguishing epilepsy from syncope (#28), unexplained fall from syncope (#29), or functional pseudo-syncope from syncope (#1). During 20 ± 13 months of follow-up, 33 patients (57%) had a spontaneous event documented by ILR. A diagnosis of syncope was established by ILR documentation of an arrhythmia in 15 (26%) patients: an asystole of 6 s (IQR 4–10 s) duration was documented at the time of the spontaneous event in seven patients with initial suspicion of epilepsy and in five patients with unexplained fall; atrial tachyarrhythmia was documented at the time of the spontaneous event in 1 and 1 patient, respectively, and ventricular tachycardia in 1 patient with unexplained fall. Conversely, in another 18 patients, ILR monitoring documented no significant rhythm abnormalities at the time of T-LOC recurrence, thus excluding an arrhythmic syncope. Finally, ILR was unable to document any syncopal episode in 25 (43%) patients. Among the 15 patients with an established diagnosis of arrhythmic syncope, syncope recurred during follow-up in 2 of 11 patients who were on pacemaker therapy and in 3 of 4 patients who were on other therapies. Conclusion Implantable loop recorder monitoring provides additional diagnostic value in 'difficult' patients with an initial diagnosis of non-syncopal real or apparent T-LOC

Neurocognitive profile of patients with continuous flow Left Ventricular Assist Device

The increase of severe heart failure and the consequent reduction of the organ availability for transplantation has led to, in recent years, the introduction of the LVAD as replacement therapy to heart transplantation. Severe Heart Failure patients show cognitive deficits in various domains especially in executive functions, memory and speed of proceedings, due to different neurophysiopathological processes including chronic hypoperfusion and subsequent damage to hippocampal and para-hippocampal cortical areas. It is also known that these deficits improve after heart transplantation. We carried out a literature review selecting studies that analyzed the cognitive changes in patients with severe heart failure after implantation of the Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device. According to the inclusion criteria, we selected four studies since 2005 that presented a comprehensive neurocognitive assessment. The results show that the cognitive profile, with the implantation of LVAD improves in memory and executive domains, and this improvements results stable in short- medium time. The effects would also be independent of the type of flow produced by the device (pulsatile vs continuous). We believe that further studies are required to explore the relationship between LVAD and cognitive function in severe heart failure

Standardized algorithm for cardiac pacing in older patients affected by severe unpredictable reflex syncope: 3-year insights from the Syncope Unit Project 2 (SUP 2) study

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Neuroautonomic evaluation of patients with unexplained syncope: Incidence of complex neurally mediated diagnoses in the elderly

BACKGROUND: The incidence of syncope increases in individuals over the age of 70 years, but data about this condition in the elderly are limited. Little is known about tilt testing (TT), carotid sinus massage (CSM), or supine and upright blood pressure measurement related to age or about patients with complex diagnoses, for example, those with a double diagnosis, ie, positivity in two of these three tests. METHODS: A total of 873 consecutive patients of mean age 66.5±18 years underwent TT, CSM, and blood pressure measurement in the supine and upright positions according to the European Society of Cardiology guidelines on syncope.1 Neuroautonomic evaluation was performed if the first-line evaluation (clinical history, physical examination, electrocardiogram) was suggestive of neurally mediated syncope, or if the first-line evaluation was suggestive of cardiac syncope but this diagnosis was excluded after specific diagnostic tests according to European Society of Cardiology guidelines on syncope, or if certain or suspected diagnostic criteria were not present after the first-line evaluation. RESULTS: A diagnosis was reached in 64.3% of cases. TT was diagnostic in 50.4% of cases, CSM was diagnostic in 11.8% of cases, and orthostatic hypotension was present in 19.9% of cases. Predictors of a positive tilt test were prodromal symptoms and typical situational syncope. Increased age and a pathologic electrocardiogram were predictors of carotid sinus syndrome. Varicose veins and alpha-receptor blockers, nitrates, and benzodiazepines were associated with orthostatic hypotension. Twenty-three percent of the patients had a complex diagnosis. The most frequent association was between vasovagal syncope and orthostatic hypotension (15.8%); 42.9% of patients aged 80 years or older had a complex diagnosis, for which age was the strongest predictor. CONCLUSION: Neuroautonomic evaluation is useful in older patients with unexplained syncope after the initial evaluation. A complex neurally mediated diagnosis is frequent in older people. Our results suggest that complete neuroautonomic evaluation should be done particularly in older patients

Safety and tolerability of Tilt Testing and Carotid Sinus Massage in the octogenarians

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the safety and tolerability of Tilt Testing (TT) and Carotid Sinus Massage (CSM) in octogenarians with unexplained syncope. METHODS: patients consecutively referred for transient loss of consciousness to the 'Syncope Units' of three hospitals were enrolled. TT and CSM were performed according to the European Society of Cardiology guidelines on syncope. Complications were evaluated in each group. An early interruption of TT was defined as 'intolerance' and considered as a non-diagnostic response. RESULTS: one thousand four hundred and one patients were enrolled (mean age 72 \ub1 16 years, male 40.8%). Six hundred and ninety-four patients (49.5%) were 80 years old or older (mean age 83 \ub1 3 years) and 707 (50.5%) were younger (mean age 60 \ub1 17 years). Complications after TT occurred in 4.5% of older patients and in 2.1% of the younger ones (P = 0.01). All complications were 'minor/moderate', as prolonged hypotension, observed in 3c3% of patients 6580 years. Major complications such as sustained ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, asystole requiring cardiac massage, transient ischaemic attack, stroke and death were not observed in any patient. The presence of orthostatic hypotension and the mean number of syncopal episodes were predictors of TT complications. Intolerance was reported in 2.4% of older patients and 1% of the younger ones (P = 0.08), mainly due to orthostatic intolerance. No complications occurred after CSM. CONCLUSIONS: TT and CSM appear to be safe and well tolerated in octogenarians, who should not be excluded by age from the diagnostic work-up of syncope