Withdrawing cardiovascular medications at a syncope clinic
K Alsop, M Mac Mahon
Department of
Medicine for the Elderly, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol BS2
8HW, UK
Correspondence to: Dr Mac Mahon m.macmahon{at}talk21.com
Submitted 9 June 2000;
Accepted 20 September 2000
It is widely assumed in clinical practice that drug treatment
associated with hypotension can result in falls and syncope, but there
is actually very little evidence to support this. Therefore the data in
all patients whose cardiovascular medications were stopped at a
falls/syncope clinic were analysed to see if their symptoms were
altered and if renewal of these medications was necessary at subsequent visits.
Of 338 consecutive referrals, cardiovascular medications had been
stopped in 65 (19%). At follow up 78% reported improvement in their
original presenting symptoms and renewal of medication was not
necessary in 77% off antianginals, 69% off antihypertensives, and
36% off antiarrhythmics. It was concluded that adjusting
cardiovascular medications could help in the management of falls and
syncope and may obviate the need for other treatment. These medications can be stopped in select patients if there is regular monitoring and
this should reduce unwanted side effects and costs of these drugs.
Keywords: withdrawal of medications; falls; syncope
© 2001 by The Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
van der Velde, N., Ziere, G., van der Cammen, T. J. M.
(2004). FALLS IN THREE PATIENTS DUE TO TIMOLOL EYE DROPS, TOLTERODINE, AND FLECAINIDE. Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
59: 1343-1344
[Full Text]
- Full Text
- Full Text (PDF)
- Submit a response
- Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me when eLetters are posted
- Alert me if a correction is posted
- Citation Map
Services
- Email this link to a friend
- Similar articles in this journal
- Similar articles in PubMed
- Add article to my folders
- Download to citation manager
- Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Topic Collections
Bookmark with
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
