Levels of somatic awareness in relation to angiographic findings

One hundred and forty men, aged 32-75, were interviewed in hospital prior to cardiac catheterization. The interview included questions on activity limitations and events provoking chest symptoms, as well as measures of somatic awareness (MSPQ), psychological distress (GHQ) and social desirability response set (Marlowe-Crowne scale). On the basis of catheterization results patients were classified according to the number of vessels with 50% or more blockage. Stepwise discriminant function analysis identified six predictors (MSPQ score, age, previous MI status, two of 10 events provoking chest symptoms, and GHQ score) which correctly classified 57% of the patients according to their number of vessels blocked. MSPQ scores bore the greatest univariate relationship to blockage group, and examination of the group means for these scores showed that the more blockage, the lower the level of bodily awareness, particularly among patients with no previous infarction. In the context of MSPQ results with other samples, it is suggested that there may be an optimal level of somatic awareness. While patients who are catheterized with little blockage may be overly sensitive to bodily symptoms and sensations, those who are not catheterized until several blockages exist may have dangerously low levels of bodily awareness.