Fatigue after myocardial infarction - a two-year follow-up study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Psychiatry
• Rehabilitation

Background:

• Depression and fatigue are linked to reduced quality of life post-myocardial infarction (MI).
• Fatigue symptoms can manifest independently of depression following MI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To track changes in self-reported fatigue and depression from 4 months to 2 years after MI.
• To examine gender differences in fatigue and depression.
• To identify fatigue incidence without coexisting depression.
• To predict health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at 2-year follow-up.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative, longitudinal study design.
• 155 participants completed questionnaires at 4 months and 2 years post-MI.
• Assessed using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 (MFI-20), and Short Form Survey (SF-36).
• Data analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and multiple regressions.

Main Results:

• Overall fatigue decreased from 4 months to 2 years post-MI.
• At 2 years, 18% reported fatigue with depression, and 30% reported fatigue without depression.
• Women reported higher levels of reduced activity, reduced motivation, and mental fatigue compared to men.
• General fatigue at 4 months predicted physical HRQoL at 2 years post-MI.

Conclusions:

• Fatigue, with or without depression, persists in nearly half of patients 2 years after MI.
• Systematic screening and early identification of fatigue and depression post-MI are crucial for care planning.
• Developing strategies to alleviate fatigue is essential in coronary care.