In the present study, we studied whether analysis of the FAP (finger arterial pressure) waveform during supine rest discriminates subjects with recurrent VVS (vasovagal syncope) from healthy controls. Signal-averaged FAP waveforms (Finapres) were obtained in 32 head-up tilt-test-positive subjects with recurrent VVS (35±13 years) and in 32 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. The DT (time delay) between the systolic and diastolic peaks of the FAP waveform was measured and large artery SI (stiffness index) was calculated as a ratio of body height and DT. VVS patients had significantly shorter DT compared with controls (303±31 compared with 329±18 ms; P<0.001) and higher SI (5.79±0.70 compared with 5.20±0.36 m/s; P<0.001). The differences were independent of heart rate and blood pressure. SI >5.45 m/s identified subjects with syncope with a sensitivity of 72% and a specificity of 84%. Age-corrected DT (cDT=DT+age−350) identified subjects with syncope with a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 84%. Combined use of cDT <0 ms and SI >5.45 m/s increased sensitivity and specificity to 81% and 96% respectively. The discriminative power of FAP descriptors improved further when younger subjects were excluded. In subjects aged >30 years (median age), the combination of cDT and SI identified subjects with syncope with a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 100%. These results suggest that FAP descriptors during supine rest might be useful in the diagnosis of VVS in middle-aged subjects.
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Research Article|
July 25 2005
Pulse wave analysis during supine rest may identify subjects with recurrent vasovagal syncope
Jan Simek;
*Third Department of Internal Medicine, General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
Correspondence: Dr Jan Simek (email jan_simek@hotmail.com).
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Dan Wichterle;
Dan Wichterle
†Second Department of Internal Medicine, General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
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Vojtech Melenovsky;
Vojtech Melenovsky
§Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A.
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Jan Malik;
Jan Malik
*Third Department of Internal Medicine, General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
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Jaroslava Svobodova;
Jaroslava Svobodova
*Third Department of Internal Medicine, General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
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Stepan Svacina
Stepan Svacina
*Third Department of Internal Medicine, General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
October 18 2004
Revision Received:
January 04 2005
Accepted:
March 01 2005
Accepted Manuscript online:
March 01 2005
Online ISSN: 1470-8736
Print ISSN: 0143-5221
The Biochemical Society
2005
Clin Sci (Lond) (2005) 109 (2): 165–170.
Article history
Received:
October 18 2004
Revision Received:
January 04 2005
Accepted:
March 01 2005
Accepted Manuscript online:
March 01 2005
Citation
Jan Simek, Dan Wichterle, Vojtech Melenovsky, Jan Malik, Jaroslava Svobodova, Stepan Svacina; Pulse wave analysis during supine rest may identify subjects with recurrent vasovagal syncope. Clin Sci (Lond) 1 August 2005; 109 (2): 165–170. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20040304
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