Cardiovascular causes of falls.

Cardiovascular disorders are responsible for as many as 77% of patients presenting to Accident and Emergency Departments with unexplained or recurrent falls and falls associated with unexplained loss of consciousness [1]. The importance of these disorders as a group is emphasized by the fact that fallers with an intrinsic cardiac cause have a greater mortality than those with non-cardiovascular or unknown causes [2]. Cardiovascular causes of falls can be divided into three main groups: i) neurally mediated disorders; ii) intrinsic cardiac abnormalities of structure and rhythm; and iii) miscellaneous causes (Table 1). This brief review highlights some of these disorders and discusses potential investigations and treatments.