AGE AND GANDER DIFFERENCES IN THE TILT TABLE TEST RESULTS

Martina Lovric Bencic, Diana Delic Brkljacic, Rea Levicki, Marina Mihajlovic, Lada Bradic, Gregor Eder, Karlo Golubic, Petra Radic

Abstract

Syncope is a medical term used for the sudden and most often short-lived loss of consciousness which is the result of brain hypoxia due to reduced blood flow. Syncopes are divided into three groups; reflex syncope, orthostatic hypotension and cardiac syncope. Vasovagal syncope is diagnosed by typical anamnestic information and head-up tilt table test. In the general population, the annual number of syncope episodes is 18.1–39.7 per 1000 patients, with similar incidence between genders. Significant increase in the incidence of syncope in observed after 70 years of age. The aim of our study was to investigate the differences in head- up tilt table test results between genders and different age groups of patients. The study was conduct in 969 consecutive patients from University Hospital Center Sisters of Charity and University Hospital Center Zagreb between 2014 and 2018. Patients were analyzed and compared according to demographic data (age and gender) and test results (positive or negative) with specific response (cardio-inhibitory, vasodepressor or mixed). The test was positive in 309 (31.8%) of all evaluated patients, with u specific responses; 182 (59%) vasodepressor, 29 (9%) cardioinhibitory and 99 (32%) mixed response. Age resulted in being a strong negative predictor for head-up tilt-test. With each year of age, the probability of a positive test decreased by 3%. Gender presented as a trend rather than a significant factor. Accordingly, the question is whether the head-up tilt-test should at all be needed for patients older than 65 years of age.

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