Self-reported cardiovascular conditions are associated with falls and syncope in community-dwelling older adults
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: with increasing age, causes of syncope are more often of cardiac origin. Syncope in older persons is often mistaken for falls. Data regarding the association between specific cardiovascular conditions, falls and syncope are limited. METHODS: cross-sectional analyses within a population sample aged 50+ (n = 8,173). Syncope and falls in the past year, cardiovascular conditions and co-variates were gathered through personal interviews. Associations between cardiovascular conditions and (recurrent) falls and syncope were studied through multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: mean age was 64 years (range: 51-105); 54% was female. Four per cent reported syncope, 19% falls and 23% cardiovascular morbidity. Abnormal heart rhythm was associated with falls (odds ratio (OR) 1.3 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-1.5]), syncope (OR 1.6 [1.2-2.3]) and recurrent syncope (OR 2.2 [1.3-3.6]). Heart murmur was associated with falls (OR 1.4 [1.1-1.8]), recurrent falls (OR 1.5 [1.0-2.0]) and syncope (OR 1.9 [1.3-2.7]). Angina was associated with recurrent falls (OR 1.4 [1.0-1.9]), syncope (OR 1.8 [1.2-2.6]) and recurrent syncope (OR 2.7 [1.6-4.6]). Heart failure was associated with recurrent falls (OR 1.9 [1.0-3.4]) and myocardial infarction with syncope (OR 1.5 [1.0-2.3]). CONCLUSION: self-reported cardiovascular conditions are associated with falls and syncope in a general population cohort. This warrants additional cardiovascular evaluation in older patients with unexplained falls and syncope.
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Developed in collaboration with, European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), Heart Failure Association (HFA), and Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), societies, E. B. T. F., European Society of Emergency Medicine (EuSEM), European Federation of Internal Medicine (EFIM), European Union Geriatric Medicine Society (EUGMS), American Geriatrics Society (AGS), European Neurological Society (ENS), et al. (2009) · European Heart Journal · doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehp298 · Cited by 2,040 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Jansen, S., Kenny, R. A., de Rooij, S. E., & van der Velde, N.
- Affiliations
- Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam (NL)
- Trinity College Dublin (IE)
- Corresponding author
- Jansen, Sofie
- Venue
- Age and Ageing
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2014-10-20
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 525-529
- ISSN
- 0002-0729 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-2834
- OpenAlex
- W2095640470
- Cited by
- 33
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 1.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- pure.amsterdamumc.nl
- Licence
- other-oa
- Locations
- Age and Ageing (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Pure Amsterdam UMC (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Trinity's Access to Research Output (TARA) (Trinity College Dublin) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Cardiovascular Syncope and Autonomic Disorders
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Balance, Gait, and Falls Prevention
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Frailty in Older Adults
- Keywords
- falls, syncope, cardiovascular conditions, older adults, community-dwelling older adults, cardiac arrhythmias, heart murmurs, angina pectoris, heart failure, myocardial infarction, recurrent syncope, recurrent falls
- MeSH terms
- Accidental Falls, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Ireland, Male, Middle Aged, Syncope, Logistic Models, Independent Living, Self Report
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