[Quality of life in patients with vasovagal syncope. Clinical parameters influence].
OBJECTIVE
The prevalence and morbidity of the vaso-vagal syncope are well-known. With the intention of measuring the Quality of Life (QoL) of patients with vaso-vagal syncope, as well as age and gender influence, we have used the Spanish version of Short form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire in those patients and have compared it with the general population and with patients with heart failure.


METHODS
All consecutive patients with vaso-vagal syncope submitted for head-up tilt test performance from January 2001 to December 2002 were included. SF-36 was self-administered prior to the head-up tilt test.


RESULTS
Two hundred and seventy one patients were included (50.5% females). In these patients, QoL scores were lower than those of the Spanish general population and similar to those in patients with heart failure. Women's scores were lower in eight dimensions, and only four were lower in men's. Women QoL was worst than men's (p < 0.05). Age had a negative influence on the eight dimensions of SF-36, especially in women. The number of syncopes was the most influential clinic parameter on the QoL of such patients.


CONCLUSIONS
In our series, patients suffering from vaso-vagal syncope had a poor QoL when compared with heart failure or control populations. Women had lower QoL than men, and there was an age-related worsening in both men and women. Our data show that the number of syncopes is the clinic parameter having the best correlation with QoL.
Barón-Esquivias
Gonzalo
G
Servicio de Cardiología. Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío. Sevilla. Spain. gbaron@jet.es
Cayuela
Aurelio
A
Gómez
Silvia
S
Aguilera
Almudena
A
Campos
Ana
A
Fernández
Mónica
M
Cabezón
Soledad
S
Morán
Juan E
JE
Valle
Juan I
JI
Martínez
Angel
A
Pedrote
Alonso
A
Errázquin
Francisco
F
Burgos
José
J
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019462:Syncope, Vasovagal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D018667:Tilt-Table Test
Calidad de vida en los pacientes con síncope vasovagal. Influencia de parámetros clínicos.