New Treatment Could Reduce Fainting-Related Falls

Fainting is not only frightening, but it can cause bodily injury and there's always a concern that it may be related to more serious conditions. So there's already enough to worry about. But there are those who faint frequently for a variety of reasons. And controlling fainting is imperative to preventing other injuries for this reason. Well, a new treatment identified by the European Society of Cardiology may help those very people reduce fainting episodes and thus their risk of falling and potentially preventing car accidents and more.

What Causes Fainting?

Fainting is caused when the body’s heart rate and/or blood pressure drops too low. Some patients have warning signs that they’re about to faint, such as nausea, dizziness, and weakness. As the fainting begins, they may experience vision that “grays out” around the edges. But not everyone gets a warning. In many people, and especially older adults, fainting may happen suddenly and without any warning at all. 

Fainting may cause a fall that could result in injuries, such as cuts, bruises, and even broken bones. In the case of the elderly, this can set off a terrible chain of events. If sufferers know what triggers a fainting episode, like sitting or standing up too fast, extreme stress, or hot, crowded places, they can try to avoid these situations to lower fainting risk. Sometimes, though, there are no warning signs and no triggering events. People who struggle with this type of fainting may withdraw from society and really struggle to lead a normal life. But there may be hope, now—though it may seem like it's too much, the benefits seem to far outweigh the risk in the small study.

How Does the New Fainting Treatment Work?

Because heartbeat and blood pressure changes are what lead to fainting, implanting a pacemaker may reduce the number of episodes patients have if those patients are fainting as the result of missing or “skipped” heartbeats. A tilt test was used to determine which patients in the study were fainting due to that problem, and then pacemakers were implanted in those patients. Only some of the pacemakers were switched on, to allow for a control group.

All patients were followed for the number of fainting episodes they had. During the 11 months of follow-up, only 16 percent of patients in the pacing group fainted, compared to 53 percent of those who were in the control group. This translates to a 77 percent lower risk. And as a result, this might also mean a higher quality of life for patients when they have a pacemaker installed as they are better able to get out and feel freer in their daily activities. Five patients out of the 128 in the study experienced minor adverse events from the pacemaker, and there were no serious adverse events reported.  

What Are the Risks Involved?

Because implanting a pacemaker involves a surgical procedure, there is a risk of infection. There are also risks involved when a heart procedure is performed, of course. But the biggest issue for patients related to the lead wire used in the pacemaker when it came to adverse events and was a minor complication. 

More study will be needed to determine if the benefits really do outweigh the risks for the majority of patients and in which this may prove to be a significant improvement. With this additional study, this treatment option may become more available to those who experience frequent fainting episodes and since it's an existing treatment for other things, it may see widespread use sooner than most other treatments.

Although the study followed a small cohort and requires follow-up, it provided important data regarding the reduction of falls by using pacemakers. It’s promising especially in that it may return quality of life to individuals who were not able to work or socialize due to their fainting and fall risks and who had become socially isolated as a result. Especially in older patients who are the highest risk for harm from a fall, a pacemaker might be worth exploring or at least discussing with a healthcare professional.

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