Yoga helps patients with recurrent vasovagal syncope

 


 A recent study showed that yoga can help people with recurrent vasovagal syncope.

 How common is vasovagal syncope?

  Vasovagal syncope is the most common syncope in adults. It comprises more than 85 % of syncopal events in people age 40 or less. In geriatric patients vasovagal syncope is responsible for at least fifty percent of syncopal episodes.

  What is a vasovagal syncope?

   A vasovagal syncope happens when there is a transient loss of consciousness due to a temporary reduced perfusion of the brain as a result of a sudden decrease in blood pressure and heart rate. In this kind of syncope there is a sudden autonomic response to pain or emotional distress, but in some cases the trigger is not clear. However, it is important to know that the healthcare professional needs to rule out other causes of the syncope before establishing the diagnosis of vasovagal syncope. Being thorough in the approach of a patient with syncope is crucial to make the right diagnosis.

  Several medical conditions can mimic this kind of syncope. Medical issues that need to be investigated in the differential diagnosis include an acute blood loss, cardiac arrhythmia, seizure, orthostatic hypotension, subarachnoid hemorrhage, ruptured ectopic pregnancy, trauma, medications, cardiovascular conditions and other pathologies.

  Once other possible causes have been ruled out and recurrent vasovagal syncope is diagnosed, patients are advised to follow certain precautions to decrease the risk of physical trauma, and to help prevent another episode. Adequate hydration, for example, is essential to aid with prevention.

 A recent study published by JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology showed that yoga as an added therapy provided to patients with recurrent vasovagal syncope improved the patients’ quality of life compared to standard therapy alone. Fifty patients were randomized to receive standard therapy alone or standard therapy and yoga. Thirty patients received yoga plus standard of care (Intervention group); twenty-five patients only received standard care (control group).

  Five daily yoga sessions per week were done and documented in their daily diaries by the patients in the intervention group. All the patients were followed up clinically for a year. Patients adhered to the regimen of sessions per week for more than 80% of the year.

  The study found that there was a statistically significant improvement in the quality of life of patients in the group that had yoga plus standard care (p less than 0.01). There were also less recurrent syncopal episodes in this group (p less than 0.02). No adverse events due to yoga were reported.

 The study found that yoga is a safe cost-effective strategy to improve the quality of life and to reduce the recurrence of syncopal episodes in patients with an established diagnosis of vasovagal syncope.

 

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470277/

https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacep.2021.09.007?_ga=2.212695956.1016389450.1649895117-1932531175.1649895117

 

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