Fainting may be genetic and in some cases only one gene may be responsible, finds new study. However, a predisposition to certain triggers, such as emotional distress or the sight of blood, may not be inherited. The study is published in the April 16, 2013, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Fainting, also called vasovagal syncope, is a brief loss of consciousness when your body reacts to certain triggers. It affects at least one out of four people.
"Our study strengthens the evidence that fainting may be commonly genetic," said study author Samuel F. Berkovic, MD, FRS, with the University of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "Our hope is to uncover the mystery of this phenomenon so that we can recognize the risk or reduce the occurrence in people as fainting may be a safety issue."
Fainting Symptom Evaluation
Fainting or syncope is characterized by transient loss of consciousness and a spontaneous recovery.
Researchers interviewed 44 families with a history of fainting and reviewed their medical records. Of those, six families had a large number of affected people, suggesting that a single gene was running through the family. The first family consisted of 30 affected people over three generations with an average fainting onset of eight to nine years. The other families were made up of four to 14 affected family members. Affected family members reported typical triggers, such as the sight of blood, injury, medical procedures, prolonged standing, pain and frightening thoughts. However, the triggers varied greatly within the families.
Source: Eurekalert
Research Says Pacemaker Prevents Fainting Among Select Patient Population
New research indicates that some patients who suffer from neurally mediated synope (NMS) may be good candidates to receive a dual-chamber pacemaker to prevent common fainting spells.
 Research Sheds Light on Fainting Factor in Cardiac ArrestsThe survival rate is less than five percent in the 45,000 sudden cardiac arrests that occur each year in Canada. | Advertisement
|
Steering Sensors to Warn About Heart Attack or Fainting
Scientists have developed steering sensors which can check the drivers vitals like heart rate and oxygen saturation level of blood while driving.
