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Intracoronary Acetylcholine Provocation Testing for Assessment of Coronary Vasomotor Disorders
Published on: August 18, 2016
Mental Health Status in Patients Undergoing Intracoronary Acetylcholine Provocation Test
Yuichi Saito1, Toshihiro Shoji2,3, Kazuya Tateishi2
1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan. saitoyuichi1984@gmail.com.
Insights
Over 40% of patients undergoing vasospastic angina testing reported poor mental health, including anxiety and depression. However, this mental distress did not impact the acetylcholine provocation test results.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Previous research links mental distress (anxiety, depression) to coronary vasoconstriction and myocardial ischemia.
- The mental health status of patients with suspected vasospastic angina remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mental health status of patients undergoing diagnostic testing for vasospastic angina.
- To determine if mental distress influences the results of acetylcholine provocation tests.
Main Methods:
- 99 patients underwent intracoronary acetylcholine (ACh) provocation tests for vasospastic angina diagnosis.
- Mental health was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y (STAI Y-2).
- Poor mental health was defined as GHQ-12 ≥ 4.
Main Results:
- 41% of patients exhibited poor mental health (GHQ-12 ≥ 4).
- The incidence of positive ACh provocation tests was similar between patients with and without poor mental health (49% vs. 48%).
- Factors associated with higher psychological distress scores included younger age, no prior percutaneous coronary intervention, and no diabetes mellitus.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of patients evaluated for vasospastic angina experience poor mental health.
- Mental distress did not demonstrate an impact on the diagnostic accuracy of the acetylcholine provocation test in this cohort.
Background:
Previous studies showed the relation of mental distress such as anxiety and depression to coronary vasoconstriction and myocardial ischemia. However, the mental health status of patients suspected to have vasospastic angina is unclear.
Methods:
A total of 99 patients underwent intracoronary acetylcholine (ACh) provocation tests for the diagnosis of vasospastic angina and mental health assessment using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y (STAI Y-2). Patients with binary GHQ-12 ≥ 4 were defined as having poor mental health.
Results:
Median GHQ-12 and STAI Y-2 were 3 [1, 6] and 44 [36, 50]. Forty-one (41%) patients had binary GHQ-12 ≥ 4, and 48 (48%) had positive ACh provocation tests. The number of provoked vasospasms and rate of electrocardiographic change and chest pain during ACh tests were not significantly different between patients with and without GHQ-12 ≥ 4. The incidence of positive ACh provocation test was similar between the two groups (49% vs. 48%, p = 1.00). The multivariable analysis indicated that younger age, no history of percutaneous coronary intervention and no diabetes mellitus were factors associated with higher GHQ-12 and/or STAI Y-2 scores.
Conclusions:
More than 40% of patients who underwent ACh provocation tests had poor mental condition. No impact of mental distress on positive ACh tests was found in this study.
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