Low Sensitivity of Abbreviated Tilt Table Testing in Diagnosing Postural Tachycardia Syndrome in CFS

[Murph]

Front Pediatr. 2018 Nov 16;6:349. doi: 10.3389/fped.2018.00349. eCollection 2018.
Low Sensitivity of Abbreviated Tilt Table Testing for Diagnosing Postural Tachycardia Syndrome in Adults With ME/CFS.
van Campen CLMC1, Rowe PC2, Visser FC1.
Author information
Abstract
Introduction: Orthostatic intolerance is common among individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). In some ME/CFS case definitions, orthostatic intolerance is considered a core feature of the disorder. Some studies have employed tilt table tests lasting 2-5 min to diagnose one common form of orthostatic intolerance, postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS). We examined the diagnostic yield of abbreviated durations of tilt testing in adults meeting criteria for ME/CFS, and identified the proportion with POTS misdiagnosed using testing of <10 min. Methods: Eligible participants were consecutive individuals satisfying study criteria for ME/CFS and POTS evaluated at the Stichting CardioZorg (SCZ, Hoofddorp, NL) between November 2012 and August 2018. Individuals being treated with medications commonly used to manage orthostatic intolerance were excluded. Head-up tilt table testing involved 15 min of supine posture then 20 min at 70 degrees upright. Only the data from the first 10-min upright were used. POTS was defined as an increase in HR during a maximum of 10 min of upright tilt of at least 30 beats per minute (bpm), in the absence of either classical or delayed orthostatic hypotension. We measured the time until HR criteria for POTS were reached using survival curves, and compared survival curves between subgroups divided by age, sex, disease duration, and degree of hypocapnia during the test.

Results: Of 627 individuals with ME/CFS evaluated during the study period, 155 met criteria for POTS. The median time to reaching HR criteria for POTS was 3 min. A two-minute tilt table test would miss 55% (95% CI, 48-63%) of those meeting POTS criteria over the course of 10 min upright. The median time to reaching HR criteria for POTS did not differ by sex, age, duration of ME/CFS, or hypocapnia during tilt.

Conclusions: Abbreviated tilt table testing misses a substantial proportion of those ultimately diagnosed with POTS during a 10-min tilt table test, and should be abandoned for the clinical diagnosis and in epidemiologic studies designed to estimate the prevalence of POTS among those with ME/CFS.

KEYWORDS:
chronic fatigue syndrome; myalgic encephalomyelitis; orthostatic intolerance; postural tachycardia syndrome; tilt table test

PMID:
30505831
PMCID:
PMC6250822
DOI:
10.3389/fped.2018.00349

 

[Diwi9]

ME/CFS was considered present if participants met both the 1994 International Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Study Group criteria for CFS (25) and the 2011 international consensus definition of ME (10).

A total of 627 individuals with ME/CFS were evaluated at the Stichting CardioZorg during the study period. We excluded those with classical OH (N = 16), delayed OH (N = 91), vaso-vagal syncope (N = 6), and a normal BP and HR response to tilt (N = 351). We also excluded subjects whose diagnosis of POTS was based on having a HR over 120 bpm standing (N = 4) but who did not reach a 30 bpm HR increase. Four others were excluded because insufficient data were available (N = 4). No participants had a co-morbid diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, SLE, rheumatoid arthritis, or Sjogren syndrome.

I had to look at the entry criteria because I was surprised so few with ME/CFS in the study actually qualify for a POTS diagnosis. It still seems more orthostatic issues exist as 105 patients with orthostatic hypotension were excluded.