Meta-analysis of physical training for the treatment of vasovagal syncope

Objective To summarize present randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and assess the effect of physical training on vasovagal syncope using meta-analysis method. Methods According to inclusion and exclusion criteria of literature review, articles during 2012 to 2013 were selected from medical electronic databases searching, including Cochrane Library, PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, Elsevier, Ovid, CNKI, and Wanfang by computer. Results Six RCTs were selected finally. According to Meta-analysis of 6 RCTs, it represented that 6 RCTs included totally 250 patients in treatment group and 265 patients in control group, and indicated patients in treatment group (252 cases) having lower rate of syncope recurrence as compared with control group (265 cases) (RR=0.40, 95%CI; 0.24-0.69, P=0.000 5). Conclusions The currently published RCTs support that physical training can be effective treatment of vasovagal syncope and further large-scale multicentre and better designed study were still expected to give more convincing evidence. Key words: Syncope, vagus; Randomized controlled trials; Meta-analysis; Physical training