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Pediatric Emergency Care Sep 2020The aims of the study were to perform the first systematic review of pediatric syncope etiologies and to determine the most common diagnoses with credible intervals...
OBJECTIVES
The aims of the study were to perform the first systematic review of pediatric syncope etiologies and to determine the most common diagnoses with credible intervals (CredIs).
METHODS
Review was performed within Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines and used Embase, Scopus, PubMed, and the Cochrane Controlled Trial databases. The following inclusion criteria for the articles were used: minimum of 10 patients, standard definition of syncope used, subjects who were 21 years or younger, and subjects who were either a consecutive retrospective group or a prospective group. No restrictions were made regarding language of the studies, but an English abstract was required. The following information was collected: purpose of the study, definition of syncope, number of patients, patient age range, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and etiologies of syncope.
RESULTS
Of the 500 articles initially identified, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria and were the basis for this review. Three thousand seven hundred patients were included, ranging in age from 3 months to 21 years. The most common etiologies identified were vasovagal (52.2%; 95% CredI, 50.6-53.9), postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (13.1%; 95% CredI, 12.1-14.2), and cardiac causes (4.0%; 95% CredI, 3.39-4.65). A total of 18.3% (95% CredI, 17.0-19.5) of patients were found to have syncope of unknown cause.
CONCLUSIONS
Syncope is a common pediatric complaint. Most cases seen are a result of benign causes, with only a small percentage because of serious medical conditions. In addition, most syncopal episodes in the pediatric population are diagnosed clinically or with minimally invasive testing, emphasizing the importance of a detailed history and physical examination.
Topics: Child; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Medical History Taking; Physical Examination; Syncope
PubMed: 32530839
DOI: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000002149 -
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Sep 2022Polypharmacy is a prevalent condition in older adults, especially those with multiple chronic diseases, and has been largely associated with adverse outcomes, including... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Polypharmacy is a prevalent condition in older adults, especially those with multiple chronic diseases, and has been largely associated with adverse outcomes, including disability, hospitalizations, and death.
AIMS
This systematic review focused on diabetes and aimed to investigate the prevalence and impact of polypharmacy in older adults affected by such disease.
METHODS
Observational (either cross-sectional or longitudinal) or experimental studies investigating the frequency and impact of polypharmacy in older adults with diabetes were identified from scientific databases and grey literature until August 2021. The prevalence and the 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) of polypharmacy in older people with diabetes were summarized by a random-effects meta-analysis.
RESULTS
From a total of 1465 records, 9 were selected for the qualitative synthesis, and 8 for the quantitative synthesis. Most studies defined polypharmacy using a cut-off for the minimum number of medications ranging from 4 to 6 drugs/day. The pooled prevalence of polypharmacy in older people with diabetes was 64% (95% CI 45-80%). Considering studies that used the same definition of polypharmacy (i.e. ≥ 5 drugs/day), the pooled prevalence was 50% (95% CI 37-63%). The between-studies heterogeneity was high. Across the selected studies, polypharmacy seemed to negatively influence both diabetes-specific (poor glycemic control and risk of hypoglycemia) and health-related (risk of incident falls, syncope, hospitalization, and death) outcomes.
CONCLUSION
This systematic review confirms the high prevalence of polypharmacy in older people with diabetes and its strong impact on several health-related outcomes, including mortality. These results strengthen the need to improve care strategies for management of these patients.
Topics: Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Hospitalization; Humans; Observational Studies as Topic; Polypharmacy; Prevalence
PubMed: 35723858
DOI: 10.1007/s40520-022-02165-1 -
Acta Clinica Croatica Dec 2021Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a disorder of myocardial repolarization defined by a prolonged QT interval on electrocardiogram (ECG) that can cause ventricular... (Review)
Review
Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a disorder of myocardial repolarization defined by a prolonged QT interval on electrocardiogram (ECG) that can cause ventricular arrhythmias and lead to sudden cardiac death. LQTS was first described in 1957 and since then its genetic etiology has been researched in many studies, but it is still not fully understood. Depending on the type of monogenic mutation, LQTS is currently divided into 17 subtypes, with LQT1, LQT2, and LQT3 being the most common forms. Based on the results of a prospective study, it is suggested that the real prevalence of congenital LQTS is around 1:2000. Clinical manifestations of congenital LQTS include LQTS-attributable syncope, aborted cardiac arrest, and sudden cardiac death. Many patients with congenital LQTS will remain asymptomatic for life. The initial diagnostic evaluation of congenital LQTS includes obtaining detailed personal and multi-generation family history, physical examination, series of 12-lead ECG recordings, and calculation of the LQTS diagnostic score, called Schwartz score. Patients are also advised to undertake 24-hour ambulatory monitoring, treadmill/cycle stress testing, and LQTS genetic testing for definitive confirmation of the diagnosis. Currently available treatment options include lifestyle modifications, medication therapy with emphasis on beta-blockers, device therapy and surgical therapy, with beta-blockers being the first-line treatment option, both in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.
Topics: Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Death, Sudden, Cardiac; Electrocardiography; Genotype; Humans; Long QT Syndrome; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 35734489
DOI: 10.20471/acc.2021.60.04.22 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Jun 2022Most people with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience at least one fall during the course of their disease. Several interventions designed to reduce falls have been... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Most people with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience at least one fall during the course of their disease. Several interventions designed to reduce falls have been studied. An up-to-date synthesis of evidence for interventions to reduce falls in people with PD will assist with informed decisions regarding fall-prevention interventions for people with PD.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the effects of interventions designed to reduce falls in people with PD.
SEARCH METHODS
CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, four other databases and two trials registers were searched on 16 July 2020, together with reference checking, citation searching and contact with study authors to identify additional studies. We also conducted a top-up search on 13 October 2021.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions that aimed to reduce falls in people with PD and reported the effect on falls. We excluded interventions that aimed to reduce falls due to syncope.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used standard Cochrane Review procedures. Primary outcomes were rate of falls and number of people who fell at least once. Secondary outcomes were the number of people sustaining one or more fall-related fractures, quality of life, adverse events and economic outcomes. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using GRADE.
MAIN RESULTS
This review includes 32 studies with 3370 participants randomised. We included 25 studies of exercise interventions (2700 participants), three studies of medication interventions (242 participants), one study of fall-prevention education (53 participants) and three studies of exercise plus education (375 participants). Overall, participants in the exercise trials and the exercise plus education trials had mild to moderate PD, while participants in the medication trials included those with more advanced disease. All studies had a high or unclear risk of bias in one or more items. Illustrative risks demonstrating the absolute impact of each intervention are presented in the summary of findings tables. Twelve studies compared exercise (all types) with a control intervention (an intervention not thought to reduce falls, such as usual care or sham exercise) in people with mild to moderate PD. Exercise probably reduces the rate of falls by 26% (rate ratio (RaR) 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63 to 0.87; 1456 participants, 12 studies; moderate-certainty evidence). Exercise probably slightly reduces the number of people experiencing one or more falls by 10% (risk ratio (RR) 0.90, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.00; 932 participants, 9 studies; moderate-certainty evidence). We are uncertain whether exercise makes little or no difference to the number of people experiencing one or more fall-related fractures (RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.28 to 1.17; 989 participants, 5 studies; very low-certainty evidence). Exercise may slightly improve health-related quality of life immediately following the intervention (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.17, 95% CI -0.36 to 0.01; 951 participants, 5 studies; low-certainty evidence). We are uncertain whether exercise has an effect on adverse events or whether exercise is a cost-effective intervention for fall prevention. Three studies trialled a cholinesterase inhibitor (rivastigmine or donepezil). Cholinesterase inhibitors may reduce the rate of falls by 50% (RaR 0.50, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.58; 229 participants, 3 studies; low-certainty evidence). However, we are uncertain if this medication makes little or no difference to the number of people experiencing one or more falls (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.14230 participants, 3 studies) and to health-related quality of life (EQ5D Thermometer mean difference (MD) 3.00, 95% CI -3.06 to 9.06; very low-certainty evidence). Cholinesterase inhibitors may increase the rate of non fall-related adverse events by 60% (RaR 1.60, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.01; 175 participants, 2 studies; low-certainty evidence). Most adverse events were mild and transient in nature. No data was available regarding the cost-effectiveness of medication for fall prevention. We are uncertain of the effect of education compared to a control intervention on the number of people who fell at least once (RR 10.89, 95% CI 1.26 to 94.03; 53 participants, 1 study; very low-certainty evidence), and no data were available for the other outcomes of interest for this comparisonWe are also uncertain (very low-certainty evidence) whether exercise combined with education makes little or no difference to the number of falls (RaR 0.46, 95% CI 0.12 to 1.85; 320 participants, 2 studies), the number of people sustaining fall-related fractures (RR 1.45, 95% CI 0.40 to 5.32,320 participants, 2 studies), or health-related quality of life (PDQ39 MD 0.05, 95% CI -3.12 to 3.23, 305 participants, 2 studies). Exercise plus education may make little or no difference to the number of people experiencing one or more falls (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.07; 352 participants, 3 studies; low-certainty evidence). We are uncertain whether exercise combined with education has an effect on adverse events or is a cost-effective intervention for fall prevention. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Exercise interventions probably reduce the rate of falls, and probably slightly reduce the number of people falling in people with mild to moderate PD. Cholinesterase inhibitors may reduce the rate of falls, but we are uncertain if they have an effect on the number of people falling. The decision to use these medications needs to be balanced against the risk of non fall-related adverse events, though these adverse events were predominantly mild or transient in nature. Further research in the form of large, high-quality RCTs are required to determine the relative impact of different types of exercise and different levels of supervision on falls, and how this could be influenced by disease severity. Further work is also needed to increase the certainty of the effects of medication and further explore falls prevention education interventions both delivered alone and in combination with exercise.
Topics: Cholinesterase Inhibitors; Exercise; Fractures, Bone; Humans; Parkinson Disease; Quality of Life
PubMed: 35665915
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011574.pub2 -
BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) Feb 2021To examine the association between antihypertensive treatment and specific adverse events. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between antihypertensive treatment and specific adverse events.
DESIGN
Systematic review and meta-analysis.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials of adults receiving antihypertensives compared with placebo or no treatment, more antihypertensive drugs compared with fewer antihypertensive drugs, or higher blood pressure targets compared with lower targets. To avoid small early phase trials, studies were required to have at least 650 patient years of follow-up.
INFORMATION SOURCES
Searches were conducted in Embase, Medline, CENTRAL, and the Science Citation Index databases from inception until 14 April 2020.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The primary outcome was falls during trial follow-up. Secondary outcomes were acute kidney injury, fractures, gout, hyperkalaemia, hypokalaemia, hypotension, and syncope. Additional outcomes related to death and major cardiovascular events were extracted. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, and random effects meta-analysis was used to pool rate ratios, odds ratios, and hazard ratios across studies, allowing for between study heterogeneity (τ).
RESULTS
Of 15 023 articles screened for inclusion, 58 randomised controlled trials were identified, including 280 638 participants followed up for a median of 3 (interquartile range 2-4) years. Most of the trials (n=40, 69%) had a low risk of bias. Among seven trials reporting data for falls, no evidence was found of an association with antihypertensive treatment (summary risk ratio 1.05, 95% confidence interval 0.89 to 1.24, τ=0.009). Antihypertensives were associated with an increased risk of acute kidney injury (1.18, 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.39, τ=0.037, n=15), hyperkalaemia (1.89, 1.56 to 2.30, τ=0.122, n=26), hypotension (1.97, 1.67 to 2.32, τ=0.132, n=35), and syncope (1.28, 1.03 to 1.59, τ=0.050, n=16). The heterogeneity between studies assessing acute kidney injury and hyperkalaemia events was reduced when focusing on drugs that affect the renin angiotensin-aldosterone system. Results were robust to sensitivity analyses focusing on adverse events leading to withdrawal from each trial. Antihypertensive treatment was associated with a reduced risk of all cause mortality, cardiovascular death, and stroke, but not of myocardial infarction.
CONCLUSIONS
This meta-analysis found no evidence to suggest that antihypertensive treatment is associated with falls but found evidence of an association with mild (hyperkalaemia, hypotension) and severe adverse events (acute kidney injury, syncope). These data could be used to inform shared decision making between doctors and patients about initiation and continuation of antihypertensive treatment, especially in patients at high risk of harm because of previous adverse events or poor renal function.
REGISTRATION
PROSPERO CRD42018116860.
Topics: Acute Kidney Injury; Aged; Antihypertensive Agents; Blood Pressure; Causality; Gout; Humans; Hyperkalemia; Hypokalemia; Middle Aged; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 33568342
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.n189 -
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2022Syncope (transient loss of consciousness and postural tone) and presyncope are common manifestations of autonomic dysfunction that are usually triggered by orthostasis....
PURPOSE
Syncope (transient loss of consciousness and postural tone) and presyncope are common manifestations of autonomic dysfunction that are usually triggered by orthostasis. The global impact of syncope on quality of life (QoL) is unclear. In this systematic review, we report evidence on the impact of syncope and presyncope on QoL and QoL domains, identify key factors influencing QoL in patients with syncopal disorders, and combine available data to compare QoL between syncopal disorders and to population normative data.
METHODS
A comprehensive literature search of academic databases (MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Embase) was conducted (February 2021) to identify peer-reviewed publications that evaluated the impact of vasovagal syncope (VVS), postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), or orthostatic hypotension (OH) on QoL. Two team members independently screened records for inclusion and extracted data relevant to the study objectives.
RESULTS
From 12,258 unique records identified by the search, 36 studies met the inclusion criteria (VVS: = 20; POTS: = 13; VVS and POTS: = 1; OH: = 2); 12 distinct QoL instruments were used. Comparisons of QoL scores between patients with syncope/presyncope and a control group were performed in 16 studies; significant QoL impairments in patients with syncope/presyncope were observed in all studies. Increased syncopal event frequency, increased autonomic symptom severity, and the presence of mental health disorders and/or comorbidities were associated with lower QoL scores.
CONCLUSION
This review synthesizes the negative impact of syncope/presyncope on QoL and identifies research priorities to reduce the burden of these debilitating disorders and improve patient QoL.
PubMed: 35224062
DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.834879 -
Cureus Aug 2023Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a condition that accounts for a high percentage of cardiovascular fatalities, with ventricular tachyarrhythmias being the most common... (Review)
Review
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a condition that accounts for a high percentage of cardiovascular fatalities, with ventricular tachyarrhythmias being the most common cause. There are signs and symptoms of SCD that occur spontaneously without any warning and are deadly. Despite preventative efforts focusing on the use of subcutaneous implanted cardioverter defibrillators (S-ICD) in the highest-risk population categories, a high number of SCDs occur in the normal population and in people who do not have a documented cardiac condition. Therefore, primary prevention for SCD should be a more viable strategy for the general population, considering measures in the form of preventive medicine such as knowing more about any genetic predisposition, family history of any fatal arrhythmia, continuous surveillance after any syncope with unknown causes, etc. However, little data about SCD risk factors are known in comparison with other well-known diseases like ischemic heart disease and stroke. In search of medical databases for relevant medical literature, we looked at PubMed/Medline, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Thirteen publications were discovered after the papers were located, assessed, and qualifying criteria were applied. The finished articles were done to give an overview of SCD. Some others have shown that the major predisposition for SCD is related to the male gender, which increases the incidence if they have a family history of SCD. We described the importance of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as a comorbid condition. Patients with S-ICD and young athletes with a history of ventricular arrhythmia showed us that the predisposition for SCD can be higher than in the normal population. Based on the above, we concluded that more study is required to establish the most important approach for each of the risk factors mentioned in this systematic review in order to apply them in daily practice and have more knowledge about how to apply preventive and therapeutic medicine to the population at risk and the ones that already develop the disease.
PubMed: 37664320
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.42859 -
The Journals of Gerontology. Series A,... Feb 2024Falls are a common cause of injury, hospitalization, functional decline, and residential care admission among older adults. Cardiovascular disorders are recognized risk... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Falls are a common cause of injury, hospitalization, functional decline, and residential care admission among older adults. Cardiovascular disorders are recognized risk factors for falls. This systematic review assesses the association between cardiovascular disorders and falls in older adults.
METHODS
Systematic searches were conducted on MEDLINE and Embase, encompassing all literature published prior to December 31, 2022. Included studies addressed persons aged 50 years and older, and assessed the association between cardiovascular disorders and falls or the efficacy of cardiovascular-based interventions to reduce falls. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality utilizing a modified Newcastle-Ottawa scale for observational studies, and the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool for interventional studies. A systematic narrative analysis of all cardiovascular outcomes, and meta-analyses of unadjusted odds ratios (ORs) were performed.
RESULTS
One hundred and eighty-four studies were included: 181 observational and 3 interventional. Several cardiovascular disorders, including stroke, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, arterial stiffness, arrhythmia, orthostatic hypotension, and carotid sinus hypersensitivity, were consistently associated with falls. In meta-analysis of unadjusted ORs, the largest positive pooled associations with falls during a 12-month reporting interval were for stroke (OR: 1.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.70-2.11), peripheral arterial disease (OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.12-2.95), atrial fibrillation (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.27-1.82), and orthostatic hypotension (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.18-1.64).
CONCLUSIONS
Several cardiovascular disorders are associated with falls. These results suggest the need to incorporate cardiovascular assessments for patients with falls. This review informed the cardiovascular recommendations in the new World Guidelines for falls in older adults.Clinical Trials Registration Number: CRD42021272245.
Topics: Humans; Middle Aged; Aged; Hypotension, Orthostatic; Accidental Falls; Cardiovascular Diseases; Risk Factors; Stroke
PubMed: 37738307
DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glad221 -
The American Journal of Clinical... Sep 2022Postprandial hypotension (PPH) has been reported to be associated with syncope, falls, adverse cardiovascular outcomes, and increased all-cause mortality. It has been... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Postprandial hypotension (PPH) has been reported to be associated with syncope, falls, adverse cardiovascular outcomes, and increased all-cause mortality. It has been reported to have an incidence as high as 30% in the elderly and persons with diabetes. We therefore performed a meta-analysis to determine the relation of PPH with cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and all-cause mortality.
OBJECTIVES
Our objective was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort and cross-sectional studies to determine the association of PPH with CVD and all-cause mortality.
METHODS
We searched the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane library up to 13 April 2022 for prospective cohort and cross-sectional studies that examined the association of PPH with CVD outcomes and all-cause mortality. Data were analyzed using the generic inverse variance method with a random-effects model. Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach assessed the certainty of evidence.
RESULTS
Seven studies that included 2389 participants met our inclusion criteria. PPH was associated with each outcome individually, including increased all-cause mortality, total CVD, CVD mortality, and stroke. CVD outcomes and all-cause mortality combined were also associated with PPH (RR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.18; P = 0.03; I2 = 77%). The certainty of evidence was graded as very low due to significant heterogeneity and the limited number of studies.
CONCLUSIONS
This assessment indicates an association of PPH with CVD and all-cause mortality. Further studies are required to improve CVD and mortality estimates, but the potential seriousness of CVD and all-cause mortality as outcomes of PPH justifies more screening, diagnosis, and research.
Topics: Aged; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Hypotension; Prospective Studies; Stroke
PubMed: 35675216
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac158 -
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2022Sleep syncope is a subtype of vasovagal syncope in which patients experience syncope after awakening from their sleep. The aim was to investigate the association of...
BACKGROUND
Sleep syncope is a subtype of vasovagal syncope in which patients experience syncope after awakening from their sleep. The aim was to investigate the association of clinical characteristics and gastrointestinal symptoms with syncope, as well as the body position in which symptoms began.
METHODS
A systematic search of studies was performed in MEDLINE and EMBASE without language restrictions, from inception to 9 January 2022. Studies were included if they reported data on the proportion of patients who experienced symptoms (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea) associated with syncope.
RESULTS
Data were included for 116 patients in 13 studies. Patients were 46.9 ± 4.3 years and 61.4% were female. In 52.5% of patients, a supine body position at the time of syncope was reported. A history of phobias was reported by 67.6% of patients, and 96.5% of patients also had typical daytime vasovagal syncope. In the 5 studies reporting the results of head-up tilt testing ( = 77), 90.9% of patients had positive tests. Gastrointestinal symptoms were present in the majority of patients with reported rates of 65.6% for upper gastrointestinal symptoms and 86.0% for lower gastrointestinal symptoms.
CONCLUSION
Patients with sleep syncope patients are predominantly female with a history of daytime vasovagal syncope. Gastrointestinal symptoms are present in the majority of patients and is therefore an important feature of sleep syncope.
PubMed: 36277790
DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.973368