A 73-year-old man with hypertension and syncope

Syncope in the elderly

Age-related physiologic changes and disease-related abnormalities predispose older adults to syncope. It is important to know the physiologic changes that occur with normal aging to understand better their interaction with disease processes and to facilitate better evaluation and treatment of syncope when it occurs. Attention to situational stresses, such as posture changes, meals, or medications, is also likely to increase the diagnostic yield and improve therapeutic strategies that can reduce morbidity and potential mortality of recurrent episodes. Therapy should be directed toward minimizing multiple factors that contribute to syncope, avoiding iatrogenic medication effects, and treating specific contributory diseases.