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European Heart Journal Advance Access first published online on July 12, 2006
This version published online on July 21, 2006
European Heart Journal, doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehl147
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European Heart Journal © The European Society of Cardiology 2006; all rights reserved
Received December 20, 2005
Revised May 3, 2006
Accepted June 23, 2006

Clinical research

Vasovagal syncope in medical students and their first-degree relatives

Anna Serletis 1, Sarah Rose 1, Aaron G. Sheldon 1, and Robert S. Sheldon 1 *

1 Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N2

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Robert S. Sheldon, E-mail: sheldon{at}ucalgary.ca


  Abstract

Aims To determine the effect of family history on the likelihood of vasovagal syncope.

Methods and results Sixty-two medical students and 228 first-degree relatives were studied. Vasovagal syncope was ascertained with the Calgary syncope symptom score. The effects of the sex of the subject and parental syncope history on the likelihood of offspring fainting were described using Kaplan-Meier estimates and analysed using proportional hazards regression. The prevalence of vasovagal syncope was 32% and the median age of first faint in those who fainted was 14 years. More females than males fainted [42 vs. 31%; P = 0.02; hazard ratio (HR) 1.34 (95% CI 1.07-1.68)]. An individual with two fainting parents was more likely to faint than one with no fainting parents [P < 0.0001; HR 3.4 (95% CI 1.7-7.03)]. In the proportional hazards model, offspring of either sex whose mother faints are more likely to faint than those whose mother does not faint [HR 2.86 (95% CI 1.54-5.31)]. Having a father who faints significantly increases the risk of syncope in sons [HR 4.12 (95%CI 1.39-12.31)], but not in daughters [HR 1.18 (95% CI 0.56-3.34)].

Conclusion Family history and sex of subject are important predictors of vasovagal syncope in offspring.

Keywords: Vasovagal; Syncope; Inheritance; Family history; Faint.
The originally published version of this paper published figure 1 and figure 2 in the wrong position (the legends were in the correct position). The publisher would like to apologize for this error.
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