ABSTRACT
Syncope is defined as an episode of loss of consciousness due to a transient global reduction in cerebral blood flow. In elderly, institutionalised individuals (mean age 87 years) it has been found to occur in around 6% of people per year. 1 Its community prevalence is hard to establish because of the frequent amnesia for unconsciousness in people who present with simple falls. In elderly individuals it is typically multifactorial in aetiology. Physiological changes making it more likely include alterations in cerebral blood flow autoregulation and reduced baroreceptor sensitivity. Comorbidities such as heart failure may also affect cerebral blood flow.
