Effect of aging on cerebral tissue oxygenation in relation to reflex syncope

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Abstract

Background: There is an increased susceptibility to syncope with aging attributed to age-related physiological impairments. Cerebral oxime-try non-invasively measures cerebral tissue oxygenation (SctO2) and has been shown to be valuable in syncope evaluation. SctO2 has beenfound to decrease with aging but it is unknown whether the decrease in SctO2 is related to increased susceptibility to syncope during ortho-static provocation. By measuring SctO2 during head up tilt test (HUT) we can study age-related differences in SctO2 and their impact ondeveloping reflex syncope.Purpose: To investigate the effect of age on the cerebral tissue oxygenation threshold for syncope and presyncope among patients withvasovagal syncope.Methods: Non-invasive haemodynamic monitoring and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) were applied during head-up tilt (HUT) in 139vasovagal syncope patients (mean [SD] 45[17] years, 60% female), and 82 control patients with a normal response to HUT (45[18] years,61% female). Group differences in SctO2 and systolic blood pressure (SBP) during HUT in supine position, after 3 and 10 min of HUT, 30seconds prior to syncope ("presyncopal phase") and during syncope in different age groups (<30, 30-60 and >60 years) were comparedusing one-way ANOVA and Tukey"s multiple comparison test. Associations between age and SctO2 were studied using linear regressionmodels adjusted for sex and concurrent SBP.Results: Lower SctO2 in supine position was associated with increasing age among controls (B=-0.085, p = 0.010) but not among VVS pa-tients (B=-0.036, p = 0.114). No age-related differences in SctO2 were found after 3 and 10 minutes of HUT and during syncope. MeanSctO2 (%) during the presyncopal phase decreased over the advancing age groups (<30: 66.9 ± 6.2, 30-60: 64.5 ± 6.1, >60: 62.2 ± 5.8; p = 0.009 for inter-group comparison). In contrast, mean SBP during the presyncopal phase did not differ by age groups (<30: 85.6 ± 21.8, 30-60:77.6 ± 19.7, >60: 77.6 ± 20.8 mmHg, p = 0.133). Age was associated with lower SctO2 during the presyncopal phase after adjusting for sexand SBP (B = 0.096, p = 0.001).Conclusion: Older VVS patients have lower cerebral tissue oxygenation in the presyncopal phase compared with younger patients inde-pendently of systolic blood pressure. These results suggest either that with imminent reflex syncope cerebral tissue oxygenation diminishesmore with advancing age or that cerebral deoxygenation is better tolerated by older reflex syncope patients.
Original languageEnglish
JournalEuropace
Volume23
Issue numberSupplement 3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021 May 24
EventEuropean Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) Congress : Young Investigator Awards - Clinical - Sophia Antipolis, France
Duration: 2021 Apr 232021 Apr 25

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems

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