Abstract

ASENSIO LAFUENTE, Enrique; BARINAGARREMENTERIA ALDATZ, Fernando; ALVAREZ DE LA CADENA SILLAS, Jorge Eduardo  and  LARA VACA, Susano. Hypersensitivity of carotid sinus. A forgotten cause of syncope and falls in the elderly. Rev. Mex. Cardiol [online]. 2017, vol.28, n.1, pp.29-34. ISSN 0188-2198.

Carotid sinus syndrome is a cause of syncope and falls in the elderly that is frequently overlooked because of different reasons, nevertheless it might be present in up to 40% of subjects older than 80 years. Its physiopathology is not clear even if it has many common points with neutrally mediated syncope. Its main feature is that the trigger for the symptoms is the stimulation of the neck’s baro-receptors. The diagnosis is usually clinical and the carotid sinus massage confirms it by reproducing the symptoms when it induces longer than three second asystole or blood pressure drops higher than 50 mmHg. Its treatment has many controversial points and the options are limited when it comes to the vasodepressor variety. In the cardio-inhibitory variety, the most accepted treatment is a pacemaker implant, nonetheless, the recurrence rates still high.

Keywords : Syncope; carotid sinus syndrome; falls; elderly; pacemakers.