Depressive symptoms and mortality two years after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) in men

Matthew M Burg1, M Cristina Benedetto, Robert Soufer

  • 1Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven Campus, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, USA. mburg@attglobal.net

Insights

Pre-surgery depression significantly predicts long-term cardiac mortality in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Elevated depressive symptoms independently contribute to mortality risk after CABG surgery.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Psychiatry
  • Medical Research

Background:

  • Depression is linked to mortality in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients.
  • Prior studies haven't fully explored presurgical depression's impact on post-CABG mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if presurgical depressive symptoms independently predict 2-year cardiac mortality after CABG.

Main Methods:

  • Eighty-nine veteran patients undergoing nonemergent CABG were assessed for depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) pre-surgery.
  • Mortality risk was evaluated using medical comorbidity and Revised Illness Perception Scale (RIS).

Main Results:

  • Univariate analysis showed significant contributions to 2-year cardiovascular mortality from RIS, congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and elevated depressive symptoms.
  • Multivariate analysis confirmed that RIS and elevated depressive symptoms remained significant predictors of 2-year cardiovascular mortality.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated depressive symptoms before CABG surgery are an independent predictor of long-term mortality.
  • Further research with larger, diverse samples is needed to confirm findings and explore underlying mechanisms.
Abstract

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