Effect of Citalopram for the Treatment of Neurocardiogenic Syncope

Background: Neurocardiogenic syncope (NCS) is a common form of syncope. Although selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and other medications have been used to treat NCS with variable success, there is no consensus regarding a first-line therapy. Study Question: To assess the effects of citalopram in NCS and to examine the effect of diagnostic use of the head-up tilt table (HUTT) versus empirical diagnosis on patient outcome. Study Design: A retrospective case series of 1000 consecutive patients who were diagnosed with NCS and treated with citalopram. Measures and Outcomes: The primary outcome measure was well-being score (WS) recorded at each outpatient visit. Results: After excluding patients who had other comorbidities, were taking daily medication, or did not attend a follow-up visit within 1 month after treatment initiation, data from 186 patients were included. Thirty-five patients were diagnosed empirically, and 151 patients were diagnosed with the HUTT. All 186 patients were followed up within 1 month (early follow-up); of these, 92 patients attended a second follow-up after 1 month (late follow-up). The early follow-up group showed a significant improvement in mean WS (7.35 vs. 4.46, P
Source: American Journal of Therapeutics - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Original Investigation Source Type: research