CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP OF ATHLETES WITH EXERCISE-INDUCED VASODEPRESSOR SYNCOPE

The purpose of this study is to report on a series of patients who wer e referred for evaluation of syncope that occurred during or immediate ly after exercise and in whom a diagnosis of vasodepressor syncope was established (9 women and 8 men; mean age of 28 +/- 17 years). The app roach to management was individualized in each patient, All patients w ere monitored to determine the frequency and type of recurrent symptom s. The mean age at onset of symptoms was 23 +/- 16 years. In 10 patien ts syncope occurred only in association with exercise, Pharmacologic t herapy was successful in normalizing the patients' response to upright tilt in each of the 10 patients in whom it was attempted. During a me an follow-up period of 35 +/- 9 months, none of the patients placed on pharmacologic therapy has had recurrent syncope. Seventeen (88%) of 1 9 patients have resumed participation in athletics, The results of thi s study demonstrate that vasodepressor syncope is a cause of syncope i n athletes and that patients with exercise-related vasodepressor synco pe can safely continue to participate in athletics.