Quantitative Scale for Grading of Cardiovascular Autonomic Reflex Tests and Small Fibers from Skin Biopsies (QASAT)

Symptoms of orthostatic intolerance including syncope, dizziness and unexplained falls affect millions people worldwide, and may result in long-term disability. Syncope affects 35-45% of population [1-3], accounts for 1-3% of emergency visits and up to 6% of all hospitalizations [4]. The majority of syncope cases remain unexplained (37-50%) [5,6] although the known causes of syncope include reflex syncope (21%), orthostatic hypotension (9.4%) and cardiac (9.5%) [5]. Dizziness affects 30% of elderly [7], and orthostatic dizziness accounts for 12.5% [8] and in 39 % of patients no specific diagnosis can be found [9].