Baseline patient characteristics
| Characteristics | All patients n=504 | ILR diagnosis n=187 | No ILR diagnosis n=317 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length of follow-up (SD), months | 15±11 | 8±8 | 20±11 |
| Age, mean (SD), years | 65 (13) | 64 (13) | 66 (12) |
| Men, No. (%) | 228 (45) | 88 (47) | 140 (44) |
| Syncope events | |||
| Total events, median (IQR) | 7 (4–10) | 7 (5–10) | 6 (4–10) |
| ≥7 episodes, No. (%) | 251 (50) | 98 (52) | 153 (48) |
| Events in the last 2 years, median (IQR) | 4 (3–6) | 4 (3–6) | 4 (3–6) |
| ≥4 episodes, No. (%) | 311 (61) | 123 (66) | 188 (34) |
| Events in the last 2 years without prodromes, median (IQR) | 2 (0–4) | 2 (0–4) | 3 (0–4) |
| Age at first syncope, mean (SD), years | 51 (22) | 48 (22) | 53 (21) |
| Interval between first and last episodes, median (IQR), years | 5.5 (2–22) | 8 (3–23)* | 5 (2–19)* |
| History of presyncope, n (%) | 237 (47) | 101 (54)** | 136 (43)** |
| Hospitalisation for syncope, n (%) | 308 (61) | 116 (62) | 192 (61) |
| Injuries related to fainting, n (%) | |||
| Major injuries (fractures, brain concussion) | 83 (16) | 19 (10) | 64 (20) |
| Minor injuries (bruises, contusion, haematoma) | 230 (46) | 86 (46) | 144 (45) |
| Typical vasovagal presentation, n (%) | 205 (41) | 87 (46) | 118 (37) |
| Typical situational presentation, n (%) | 81 (16) | 30 (16) | 51 (16) |
| Without prodromes | 287 (57) | 102 (54) | 185 (58) |
| Medical history, n (%) | |||
| Structural cardiac abnormalities | 60 (12) | 22 (12) | 38 (12) |
| Atrial tachyarrhythmias | 40 (8) | 18 (10) | 22 (7) |
| Hypertension | 246 (49) | 91 (49) | 155 (49) |
| Diabetes | 56 (11) | 19 (10) | 37 (12) |
| Neurological/psychiatric disorders | 30 (6) | 6 (3) | 24 (8) |
| Concomitant medications, No. (%) | |||
| Antihypertensive | 257 (51) | 94 (50) | 163 (51) |
| Psychiatric | 64 (13) | 24 (13) | 40 (13) |
| Any other drugs | 167 (33) | 55 (29) | 112 (35) |
| Mean number of drugs per patient | 1.4 (1.4) | 1.3 (1.4) | 1.4 (1.5) |
| Baseline mean heart rate, bpm | 70 (11) | 69 (10) | 70 (11) |
| Supine arterial blood pressure (SD), mm Hg | 131 (17) | 131 (17) | 131 (17) |
| Standing arterial blood pressure | 120 (21) | 121 (19) | 120 (22) |
| Echocardiogram: | |||
| LV EF (SD), % | 61 (6) | 62 (6) | 60 (6) |
| LV diastolic diameter (SD), mm Hg | 49 (6) | 49 (7) | 49 (6) |
| LV systolic diameter (SD), mm Hg | 32 (6) | 32 (7) | 32 (6) |
| Any abnormality, % | 47 (9) | 15 (8) | 32 (10) |
| Tilt testing: performed, No. (%) | 439 (87) | 157 (84) | 282 (89) |
| Positive of those performed, No. (%) | 204 (46) | 85 (54) | 119 (42) |
| Asystolic response, No. (%) | 52 (12) | 28 (18)*** | 24 (9)*** |
| Non-asystolic response | 152 (35) | 57 (36) | 95 (34) |
p Values: *0.04; **0.02; ***0.002; ILR, implantable loop recorder; n, number.