Daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal patterns in the occurrence of vasovagal syncope in an older population.

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of vasovagal episodes over the day, week, month, and seasons.

Methods And Results: This study was part of the multi-centre International Study on Syncope of Uncertain Etiology-2 (ISSUE-2), which included patients, aged 30 years or older, with severe neurally mediated syncope between June 2002 and July 2004. The Implantable Loop Recorder (ILR) was used to document the syncope-related ECG periods.

Reproducibility of nitrate-stimulated tilt testing in patients with suspected vasovagal syncope and a healthy control group.

Objective: Nitrate-stimulated tilt testing may be used to diagnose vasovagal syncope or to guide therapy. To date, the reproducibility of the test in patients with clinically suspected vasovagal syncope and healthy controls is undetermined. A high reproducibility is a prerequisite for correct interpretation of the test result.

Nitrate-stimulated tilt testing enhances the predictive value of the tilt test on the risk of recurrence in patients with suspected vasovagal syncope.

Objective: Nitrate-stimulated tilt testing may be used to diagnose vasovagal syncope and to guide therapy. However, to date the predictive value of the test is undetermined. This study analyses the risk of recurrence of syncope in vasovagal patients on the basis of a nitrate-stimulated tilt result and other clinical factors.

Diagnostic value of nitrate stimulated tilt testing without preceding passive tilt in patients with suspected vasovagal syncope and a healthy control group.

Background: The contribution of the passive tilt phase, in a combined nitrate stimulated tilt protocol may be low yielding. In order to develop a shortened, and thus easier to perform test, we investigated the optimal duration of a nitrate tilt protocol without a preceding passive phase.

Methods: Thirty-eight consecutive patients (18F/20M; mean age 46 +/- 16) with clinically suspected vasovagal syncope and 31 control subjects (15F/16M; mean age 40 +/- 18) were tested.