TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2016//
TI  - Etiology of syncope and unexplained falls in elderly adults with dementia: Syncope and Dementia (SYD) Study
JO  - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
A1  - Ungar, Andrea
A1  - Mussi, Chiara
A1  - Ceccofiglio, Alice
A1  - Bellelli, Giuseppe
A1  - Nicosia, Franco
A1  - Bo, Mario
A1  - Riccio, Daniela
A1  - Martone, Anna Maria
A1  - Guadagno, Livia
A1  - Noro, Gabriele
A1  - Ghidoni, Giulia
A1  - Rafanelli, Martina
A1  - Marchionni, Niccolo
A1  - Abete, Pasquale
SP  - 1567
EP  - 1573
VL  - 64
IS  - 8
N2  - OBJECTIVES: To investigate the etiology of transient loss of consciousness (T-LOC) suspected to be syncope and unexplained falls in elderly adults with dementia. <br><br>DESIGN: Prospective, observational, multicenter study. SETTING: Acute care wards, syncope units or centers for the diagnosis of dementia. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged 65 and older with a diagnosis of dementia and one or more episodes of T-LOC of a suspected syncopal nature or unexplained falls during the previous 3 months were enrolled. MEASUREMENTS: The causes of T-LOC suspected to be syncope and unexplained falls were evaluated using a simplified protocol based on European Society of Cardiology guidelines. <br><br>RESULTS: Of 357 individuals enrolled, 181 (50.7%) had been referred for T-LOC suspected to be syncope, 166 (46.5%) for unexplained falls, and 10 (2.8%) for both. An initially suspected diagnosis of syncope was confirmed in 158 (87.3%), and syncope was identified as the cause of the event in 75 (45.2%) of those referred for unexplained falls. Orthostatic hypotension was the cause of the event in 117 of 242 (48.3%) participants with a final diagnosis of syncope. <br><br>CONCLUSION: The simplified syncope diagnostic protocol can be used in elderly people with dementia referred for suspected syncope or unexplained falls. Unexplained falls may mask a diagnosis of syncope or pseudosyncope in almost 50% of cases. Given the high prevalence of orthostatic syncope in participants (~50%), a systematic reappraisal of drugs potentially responsible for orthostatic hypotension is warranted.<br><br>© 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0002-8614
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jgs.14225
ID  - ref1
ER  -