Consensus Article 2009

[summer]

I found this article which clearly defines disorders related to syncope including POTS, OH, etc. I'm sure some of our doctors are involved in it's developement. It's long, but good to have bookmarked, I think. I have included the list of authors:

http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/conten...1.full.pdf+html

Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope (version 2009)

The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Management of Syncope of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)

Developed in collaboration with, European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA)1, Heart Failure Association (HFA)2 and and Heart Rhythm Society (HRS)3

Endorsed by the following societies, European Society of Emergency Medicine (EuSEM)4, European Federation of Internal Medicine (EFIM)5, European Union Geriatric Medicine Society (EUGMS)6, American Geriatrics Society (AGS), European Neurological Society (ENS)7, European Federation of Autonomic Societies (EFAS)8 and American Autonomic Society (AAS)9

Authors/Task Force Members, Angel Moya, (Chairperson) (Spain)*, Richard Sutton, (Co-Chairperson) (UK)*, Fabrizio Ammirati, (Italy), Jean-Jacques Blanc, (France), Michele Brignole1, (Italy), Johannes B. Dahm, (Germany), Jean-Claude Deharo, (France), Jacek Gajek, (Poland), Knut Gjesdal2, (Norway), Andrew Krahn3, (Canada), Martial Massin, (Belgium), Mauro Pepi, (Italy), Thomas Pezawas, (Austria), Ricardo Ruiz Granell, (Spain), Francois Sarasin4, (Switzerland), Andrea Ungar6, (Italy), J. Gert van Dijk7, (The Netherlands), Edmond P. Walma, (The Netherlands) and Wouter Wieling, (The Netherlands)

*Corresponding authors: Angel Moya (Chairperson), Hospital Vall d'Hebron, P. Vall d'Hebron 119?129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain. Tel: +34 93 2746166, Fax: +34 93 2746002, Email: amoya@comb.cat Richard Sutton (UK) (Co-Chairperson), Imperial College, St Mary's Hospital, Praed Street, London W2 1NY, UK. Tel: +44 20 79351011, Fax: +44 20 79356718, Email: r.sutton@imperial.ac.uk

External Contributors, Haruhiko Abe, (Japan), David G. Benditt, (USA), Wyatt W. Decker, (USA), Blair P. Grubb, (USA), Horacio Kaufmann9, (USA), Carlos Morillo, (Canada), Brian Olshansky, (USA), Steve W. Parry, (UK), Robert Sheldon, (Canada) and Win K. Shen, (USA)

ESC Committee for Practice Guidelines (CPG), Alec Vahanian, (Chairperson) (France), Angelo Auricchio, (Switzerland), Jeroen Bax, (The Netherlands), Claudio Ceconi, (Italy), Veronica Dean, (France), Gerasimos Filippatos, (Greece), Christian Funck-Brentano, (France), Richard Hobbs, (UK), Peter Kearney, (Ireland), Theresa McDonagh, (UK), Keith McGregor, (France), Bogdan A. Popescu, (Romania), Zeljko Reiner, (Croatia), Udo Sechtem, (Germany), Per Anton Sirnes, (Norway), Michal Tendera, (Poland), Panos Vardas, (Greece) and Petr Widimsky, (Czech Republic)

Document Reviewers, Angelo Auricchio, (CPG Review Coordinator) (Switzerland), Esmeray Acarturk, (Turkey), Felicita Andreotti, (Italy), Riccardo Asteggiano, (Italy), Urs Bauersfeld, (Switzerland), Abdelouahab Bellou4, (France), Athanase Benetos6, (France), Johan Brandt, (Sweden), Mina K. Chung3, (USA), Pietro Cortelli8, (Italy), Antoine Da Costa, (France), Fabrice Extramiana, (France), Jos? Ferro7, (Portugal), Bulent Gorenek, (Turkey), Antti Hedman, (Finland), Rafael Hirsch, (Israel), Gabriela Kaliska, (Slovak Republic), Rose Anne Kenny6, (Ireland), Keld Per Kjeldsen, (Denmark), Rachel Lampert3, (USA), Henning M?lgard, (Denmark), Rain Paju, (Estonia), Aras Puodziukynas, (Lithuania), Antonio Raviele, (Italy), Pilar Roman5, (Spain), Martin Scherer, (Germany), Ronald Schondorf9, (Canada), Rosa Sicari, (Italy), Peter Vanbrabant4, (Belgium), Christian Wolpert1, (Germany) and Jose Luis Zamorano, (Spain)

[Noreen]

Thanks I downloaded the PDF to try to get through if this migraine ever lets up. I've had worse -at least I can use the computer for quiet things. Sustained reading is beyond me.

However, this headline in the same issue of that journal caught my eye.

Easter eggs and other chocolate may be good for you ? at least in small quantities and preferably if it?s dark chocolate ? according to research that shows just one small square of chocolate a day can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease. The study is published online on Wednesday 31 March in the European Heart Journal [1].

[Guest tearose]

That is sure a lot to read but seems very current and complete!

Thank you for the link.

Did someone say something about chocolate???

[summer]

Thanks I downloaded the PDF to try to get through if this migraine ever lets up. I've had worse -at least I can use the computer for quiet things. Sustained reading is beyond me.

However, this headline in the same issue of that journal caught my eye.

Easter eggs and other chocolate may be good for you ? at least in small quantities and preferably if it?s dark chocolate ? according to research that shows just one small square of chocolate a day can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease. The study is published online on Wednesday 31 March in the European Heart Journal [1].

Reen,

Sounds like an interesting article too! .....Go easy on the chocolate until that migraine lets up . Hope you're feeling better in time for the Easter Bunny.

Summer

[erik]

....according to research that shows just one small square of chocolate a day can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease....

I like the idea but I've never been able to eat "just one small square"!!! Perhaps it will need to be put into a pill form that I don't taste & enjoy, for me to use chocolate medicinally! Otherwise this could be a drug of abuse for many

I like the "Guidelines" document. I've just skimmed it so far (and think I have prior???) but I especially appreciate the T-LOC references... mostly because I suspect it was a batch of Funky Cold Medina that probably caused my POTS initially.

[summer]

I like the idea but I've never been able to eat "just one small square"!!! Perhaps it will need to be put into a pill form that I don't taste & enjoy, for me to use chocolate medicinally! Otherwise this could be a drug of abuse for many

I like the "Guidelines" document. I've just skimmed it so far (and think I have prior???) but I especially appreciate the T-LOC references... mostly because I suspect it was a batch of Funky Cold Medina that probably caused my POTS initially.

[Noreen]

Thanks Summer-

Actually I have no chocolate (I think that goes against my religion esp. today) as I am trying to be very good about the low carb diet the doc prescribed as a stroke preventative.

But I could make a great argument for one square a day in my med case - studies have shown dark chocolate has anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties. Just think, I'd feel less deprived if I had a square to look forward to thereby reducing anxiety and depression symptoms. The trick is, as Erik says, eating just one.