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Physical distress is associated with cardiovascular events in a high risk population of elderly men

Gunnar Einvik1, Oivind Ekeberg, Tor O Klemsdal

  • 1Division of Medicine, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway. gunnar.einvik@medisin.uio.no.

BMC Cardiovascular Disorders
|April 1, 2009
PubMed

Insights

In elderly men with hyperlipidemia, increased physical distress independently predicted a higher risk of cardiovascular events over three years. Quality of life did not show a significant association in the final analysis.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Geriatrics
  • Psychosomatic Medicine

Background:

  • Self-reported health perceptions, including physical distress and quality of life, are potential predictors of mortality and morbidity in cardiovascular disease patients.
  • This study investigated the link between these perceptions and cardiovascular events in elderly men with long-term hyperlipidemia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between physical distress, quality of life, and the incidence of cardiovascular events over a three-year period.
  • To determine if self-reported health perceptions are independent predictors of cardiovascular events in elderly men with hyperlipidemia.

Main Methods:

  • Observational data from 433 men (aged 64-76) in a prospective trial were analyzed.
  • Questionnaires assessed anxiety, depression, physical symptom distress, and life satisfaction at baseline.
  • Cox regression analyses calculated hazard ratios for cardiovascular events, adjusting for classical risk factors.

Main Results:

  • 49 cardiovascular events occurred over three years.
  • Physical distress showed a positive association with cardiovascular events (HR 3.1).
  • Quality of life showed a negative association (HR 2.6), but only physical distress remained significant in multivariate analysis (HR 2.8).

Conclusions:

  • Physical distress was independently associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events in elderly men with hyperlipidemia.
  • Quality of life was not an independent predictor of cardiovascular events in this cohort.
  • Findings highlight the importance of assessing physical distress in cardiovascular risk stratification.
Abstract

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