A comparison of health-related quality of life in autonomic disorders: postural tachycardia syndrome versus vasovagal syncope

• Published in: Clinical autonomic research 2021-06, Vol.31 (3), p.433-441
• Main Authors: Hall, Juliette, Bourne, Kate M., Sheldon, Robert S., Vernino, Steven, Raj, Vidya, Ng, Jessica, Okamoto, Luis E., Arnold, Amy C., Bryarly, Meredith, Phillips, Lauren, Paranjape, Sachin Y., Raj, Satish R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiology; Diabetes; Dysautonomia; Emotions; Endocrinology; Fainting; Gastroenterology; Humans; Intolerance; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neurology; Ophthalmology; Orthostatic Intolerance; Patients; Population studies; Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome; Posture; Quality of Life; Research Article; Syncope; Syncope, Vasovagal; Tachycardia; Vasovagal syncope; Well being
• ISSN: 0959-9851; 1619-1560; 1619-1560
• DOI: 10.1007/s10286-021-00781-x

Purpose Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and vasovagal syncope (VVS) are two disorders of orthostatic intolerance which are often misdiagnosed as the other. In each case, patients experience a reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared to healthy populations. This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that HRQoL is worse in POTS. Methods POTS patients were recruited from the Dysautonomia International Annual Patient and Caregiver Conference. VVS patient data came from those enrolled in the Second Prevention of Syncope Trial. Participants aged ≥ 18 years (177 POTS and 72 VVS) completed the RAND 36-Item Health Survey, a generic and coherent health-related quality of life survey. Results POTS patients reported reduced HRQoL compared to VVS patients in physical functioning (42.5 ± 1.7 vs. 76.5 ± 2.9, p