Changes in symptoms of anxiety and depression following diagnostic angiography: a prospective cohort study

Coronary angiography is the gold standard diagnostic test for coronary artery disease (CAD), and the diagnostic results can have an immediate effect on symptoms. The aim of this study was to explore the long-term impact of diagnostic angiography on symptoms of anxiety and depression in a group of patients without previous CAD.

The prospective cohort study included 459 consecutive patients undergoing invasive angiography and was approved by the regional board of ethics. Data were collected at baseline and after 6 and 12 months using self-reports. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The sample population had a mean age of 62 years and included 197 (43%) women. Fifty-three percent had hypertension, and 17% had diabetes. The diagnostic results indicated that 41% of patients had normal vessels; 21% had wall changes; and 38% had obstructive stenosis. No significant difference was found between the diagnostic groups at baseline regarding the levels of anxiety or depression. After 6 months, participants with obstructive stenosis had significantly lower levels of anxiety than those without obstructive stenosis. Improvements were observed in all groups over time in both HADS subscale scores; the largest improvement occurred in patients with obstructive stenosis.

This study demonstrates that patients with normal coronary arteries or minimal coronary disease/non-obstructive coronary disease do not seem to obtain the same benefit from the receipt of information about their coronary status in terms of anxiety and depression as patients with significant obstructive stenosis.