In a prospective multicentre study a series of 188 patients over 65 years of age admitted for syncope (90) or transient loss of consciousness (98) was collected. There were 120 women and 68 men; mean age was 78.7 +/- 6.6 years; 140 patients had a significant history mainly of arterial hypertension and coronary disease; 81 patients were taking drugs (4.1 on average) and notably diuretics, antihypertensive agents, antiarrhythmic agents, nitrites and psychotropic drugs. The most frequent diagnoses were arrhythmia (20.2 p. 100), postural hypotension (15.4 p. 100), reflex and vasodepressive syncope (12.2 p. 100) and coronary disease (5.3 p. 100). Taken together, these diagnoses could be divided into cardiac diseases (26.5 p. 100), extracardiac diseases (54.2 p. 100), diagnosis unknown (19 p. 100). The condition was iatrogenic in 45 patients (24 p. 100). The means by which the diagnosis was reached were studied: in two-thirds of the cases, careful physical examination and electrocardiography alone provided a diagnosis. Seven patients died during their stay in hospital. Among the 181 survivors 148 (81.7 p. 100) were discharged and returned home.