Epidemiology: Difference between revisions

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The prevalence of syncope in the general population is ''extremely'' common. Almost everybody seems to have either experienced or witnessed an episode. Syncopal events often do not reach medical attention, particularly in the young in whom most episodes are considered to be innocent neurally mediated events<cite>1</cite>,<cite>2</cite>.
The prevalence of syncope in the general population is ''extremely'' common. Almost everybody seems to have either experienced or witnessed an episode. Syncopal events often do not reach medical attention, particularly in the young in whom most episodes are considered to be innocent neurally mediated events<cite>1</cite>,<cite>2</cite>.


Studies in young populations show a strikingly high incidence of syncope. Two recent surveys of the frequency of syncope in medical students demonstrated that ''20-25% of males and 40-50% of females'' report to have experienced at least one such episode (Ganzeboom et al., 2003;Serletis et al., 2006). The majority of the syncope triggers identified in these students involved stresses or conditions that affect orthostatic blood pressure control. Neurally mediated syncope was therefore a likely cause of the symptoms in these young subjects. The incidence peak of presumed neurally mediated syncope around the age of 15 years and the much higher incidence in young females is a consistent finding (fig. 1)(Ganzeboom et al., 2003;Colman et al., 2004a;Ganzeboom et al., 2006;Serletis et al., 2006;Sheldon et al., 2006).  A family history of presumed neurally mediated syncope in the first degree relatives is often present in young fainting subjects (Mathias et al., 1998;Serletis et al., 2006).  
Studies in young populations show a strikingly high incidence of syncope. Two recent surveys of the frequency of syncope in medical students demonstrated that ''20-25% of males and 40-50% of females'' report to have experienced at least one such episode <cite>Ganzeboom</cite>,<cite>Serletis</cite>. The majority of the syncope triggers identified in these students involved stresses or conditions that affect orthostatic blood pressure control. Neurally mediated syncope was therefore a likely cause of the symptoms in these young subjects. The incidence peak of presumed neurally mediated syncope around the age of 15 years and the much higher incidence in young females is a consistent finding (fig. 1)<cite>Ganzeboom</cite>,<cite>Colman</cite>,<cite>Ganzeboom2006</cite>,<cite>Serletis</cite>,<cite>Sheldon</cite>.  A family history of presumed neurally mediated syncope in the first degree relatives is often present in young fainting subjects <cite>Mathias</cite>,<cite>Serletis</cite>.  


''Compared to the 30% incidence of presumed neurally mediated syncope in young medical students'', the prevalence of epileptic seizures in a similar young age group is much lower (less than 1%) (Wallace et al., 1998) and syncope resulting from cardiac arrhythmias or structural heart disease, i.e. cardiac syncope,  is even less common (Colman et al., 2004a).
''Compared to the 30% incidence of presumed neurally mediated syncope in young medical students'', the prevalence of epileptic seizures in a similar young age group is much lower (less than 1%) (Wallace et al., 1998) and syncope resulting from cardiac arrhythmias or structural heart disease, i.e. cardiac syncope,  is even less common (Colman et al., 2004a).
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#Benke pmid=9018029
#Benke pmid=9018029
#Kenny pmid=12950524
#Kenny pmid=12950524
#Ganzeboom2006 pmid=17074006
#Mathias pmid=11210997
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</biblio>