title: Pharmacologic approaches to therapy for vasovagal syncope.
abstract: Vasovagal syncope is a common disorder of autonomic cardiovascular regulation. Many pharmacologic agents have been proposed as effective in the management of this condition based on nonrandomized clinical trials. Notably, only 3 agents--atenolol, midodrine, and paroxetine--have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of vasovagal syncope in at least 1 prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Other therapies commonly used in treating syncope include increased salt and fluid intake and fludrocortisone. In this review, we provide a summary of currently available data that support or question the use of various pharmacologic agents for treatment of vasovagal syncope.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Calkins
mesh_terms: D001262:Atenolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005438:Fludrocortisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008879:Midodrine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017374:Paroxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D019462:Syncope, Vasovagal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D017374:Paroxetine; D001262:Atenolol; D008879:Midodrine; D005438:Fludrocortisone