The sick sinus syndrome. A study of 50 cases.

The long term prognosis was studied in 50 patients treated for the sick sinus syndrome with pacemaker insertion. The mean age of the patients was 71 years. There were 31 females and 19 males in the series. Nine patients (18%) died during the average follow-up period of 19 months. Dizzy and syncopal episodes were abolished in most patients with pacemaker therapy. However only two of the nine patients in congestive heart failure improved with the pacemaker. Thus the long term prognosis of patients with the sick sinus syndrome is poor despite pacemaker therapy. This is particularly true for the patient in chronic congestive heart failure who does not respond to the pacemaker treatment.