The influence of age on cerebral tissue oxygenation in vasovagal syncope and orthostatic hypotension
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Age-related physiological impairment increases susceptibility to syncope. We tested the hypotheses that cerebral oxygenation during orthostatic provocation, as well as the level at which syncope occurs, differs according to age. Non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring and cerebral oximetry were applied during a head-up tilt test in 139 patients with vasovagal syncope (mean (SD) 45, (17) years, 60%-female); 121 patients with orthostatic hypotension (61.4 (19.2) years, 49.6%-female); and 82 patients with a negative head-up tilt test (45 (18) years, 61%-female). Group differences in cerebral tissue oxygenation levels and systolic blood pressure were assessed in supine at 3 and 10 min of orthostatic provocation, 30 s before (i.e., presyncopal phase) and during syncope in age groups of <30, 30-60, and >60 years. During the head-up tilt test, cerebral tissue oxygenation at the presyncopal phase decreased with age, both in patients with vasovagal syncope (<30 years: 66.9 ± 6.2, 30-60: 64.5 ± 6.1, >60: 62.2 ± 5.8%; p = 0.009) and orthostatic hypotension (<30: 67.4 ± 4.4, 30-60: 61.6 ± 6.2, >60: 57.5 ± 3.9; p < 0.001). Mean systolic blood pressure at the presyncopal phase did not differ according to age. Cerebral oxygenation prior to syncope in older individuals with vasovagal syncope and orthostatic hypotension is lower compared with younger individuals independently of systolic blood pressure. This suggests that the level of cerebral oxygenation at which syncope is elected is lower in older individuals.
Date Issued
2022-07-25
Date Acceptance
2022-07-11
Citation
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2022, 11 (15)
ISSN
2077-0383
Publisher
MDPI AG
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Clinical Medicine
Volume
11
Issue
15
Copyright Statement
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35893391
PII: jcm11154302
Subjects
NIRS
aging
cerebral oximetry
head-up tilt
orthostatic hypotension
vasovagal syncope
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
Switzerland
Article Number
ARTN 4302