Watch out, Fainting Maybe So sign Early Heart Problems

Someone who suddenly faint for no apparent reason should be more aware of heart attack or other cardiovascular disease. Fainting may be an early symptom of a heart problem that you will encounter in the future.

Researchers from Denmark to track a group of people who have had fainted at least once over the past few years and found that about 74 percent of people who had fainted were more likely to have a heart attack or a stroke during her later.

"Patients, families, and clinicians should be aware that the syncope or fainting in apparently healthy people is associated with a higher risk of death. Syncope may be the first symptom of heart disease," said Dr. Martin Ruwald, the lead researcher from the University of Rochester Medical Center .

In the study, researchers followed the health records of about 37,000 people who had fainted, but do not have a particular disease that causes fainting. Study period lasted for about 4.5 years. The researchers then compared the results with the health records of people who had never fainted.

The researchers wanted to know whether the people who had passed out, more likely to die at a young age because of certain diseases and whether people who often experience recurrent fainting, can develop cardiovascular problems or not.

Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness due to reduced blood flow to the brain is suddenly. According to the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, fainting associated with a sudden drop in blood pressure leading to decreased blood flow in the brain.

Vasovagal syncope is the most common type of fainting and is usually triggered by events such as emotional disturbance, stress, the sight of blood or prolonged standing. However, the researchers say that the new findings suggest that fainting in healthy individuals appears to be the first symptom of the underlying cardiovascular conditions.

The researchers also noted that in some people, fainting may not indicate a significant health problem. For example, women under 20 years of age can faint due to low blood pressure.

Meanwhile, a new study found a link between fainting in healthy people with heart conditions in the future, but have not found a causal relationship between the two. The findings are then published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, as quoted from MedicalDaily, Sunday (12/16/2012).