
Fulltext:
134076.pdf
Embargo:
until further notice
Size:
144.0Kb
Format:
PDF
Description:
publisher's version
Publication year
2014Source
Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 29, 5, (2014), pp. 448-453ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor

Display more detailsDisplay less details
Organization
Psychiatry
Cardiology
Journal title
Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing
Volume
vol. 29
Issue
iss. 5
Page start
p. 448
Page end
p. 453
Subject
Radboudumc 0: Other Research RIHS: Radboud Institute for Health Sciences; Radboudumc 13: Stress-related disorders DCMN: Donders Center for Medical NeuroscienceAbstract
OBJECTIVE: General anxiety in cardiac patients is associated with worsened cardiac course. An acute coronary syndrome (ACS) might evoke specific cardiac anxiety. We explored the characteristics associated with cardiac anxiety in ACS patients. METHODS: We assessed cardiac anxiety in 237 patients admitted with ACS using the Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire and gathered information on sociodemographic, psychological, and cardiac disease characteristics. Univariate, multivariate logistic, and linear regression analyses were used to determine which characteristics were associated with cardiac anxiety. RESULTS: Cardiac anxiety was not associated with sociodemographic variables. More severe cardiac injury, as indicated by ST-elevated myocardial infarction and troponin level, was associated with less cardiac anxiety. Psychological variables (depressive symptoms, agoraphobic cognitions, avoidance behavior) were associated with more cardiac anxiety. DISCUSSION: Cardiac anxiety in ACS patients is associated with more psychological distress but lower severity of cardiac injury as indicated by ST-elevated myocardial infarction and troponin level. Two explanations seem likely for this latter finding. First, anxious persons might seek help earlier, thus being diagnosed more often with minor cardiac pathology. Second, cardiac anxiety might partly be caused by diagnostic uncertainty. Future research should focus on communication strategies to reassure patients more efficiently.
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Academic publications [202914]
- Electronic publications [101091]
- Faculty of Medical Sciences [80065]
Upload full text
Use your RU credentials (u/z-number and password) to log in with SURFconext to upload a file for processing by the repository team.