In research trials up to thirty percent of patients were found to have syncope (unexplained fainting episodes) due to a variety of cardiovascular causes, and their symptoms were corrected with appropriate therapy. The life-threatening nature of the cardiac disorders diagnosed in these patients suggests that undiagnosed cardiac syncope may be an important component of the increased sudden death rate seen in people with presumed epilepsy. Syncope is an important diagnosis, as it can be easily treated with a pace maker or drug therapy. Syncope is much easier to treat then epilepsy and does not carry the restrictions that a seizure disorder brings with it. Studies showed that there was an unexpectidly high rate of misdiagnosis in patients with uncontrolled epilepsy. With this recorder the rates of sucess have been increased.
To decide if you would benefit from a cardiovascular evaluation see if you can answer yes to any of the following questions:
1. Have you experienced repeated seizure-like episodes over time?
2. Are you getting treatment for your seizures, but the treatment is not helping?
3. Are you or your doctor uncertain you have epilepsy?
If you answered yes to any of these questions I would consider requesting an evaluation by a cardiologist. At that time they will do extensive questioning into your seizure episodes and also perform additional testing. Such testing include: Tilt table test: This procedure creates conditions that may cause syncope. The test is performed in a hospital testing room with the patient connected to monitoring equipment such as an ECG machine. The person is positioned on a table, and the table is tilted by varying degrees. The test enables a physician to measure how blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rhythm respond to changes in body position. Some centers undertake tilt testing in conjuction with a drug challenge, which may make fainting more likely.
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