Abstract
BackgroundAnxiety is associated with poorer prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Due to their severity and chronic course, anxiety disorders, particularly generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder (PD), are of considerable interest and clinical importance in this population. This study has two main objectives: (1) to estimate the prevalence and incidence of GAD and PD in patients with CAD over a 2-year period and (2) to prospectively assess the association between PD or GAD and adverse cardiac events, treatment adherence, CAD-related health behaviors, quality of life and psychological distress.Design/MethodThis is a longitudinal cohort study in which 3610 participants will be recruited following a CAD-related revascularization procedure. They will complete an interview and questionnaires at 5 time points over a 2-year period (baseline and follow-ups after 3, 6, 12 and 24 months). The presence of PD or GAD, adherence to recommended treatments, health behaviors, quality of life and psychological distress will be assessed at each time point. Data regarding mortality and adverse cardiac events will be collected with a combination of interviews and review of medical files.DiscussionThis study will provide essential information on the prevalence and incidence of anxiety disorders in patients with CAD and on the consequences of these comorbidities. Such data is necessary in order to develop clear clinical recommendations for the management of PD and GAD in patients with CAD. This will help improve the prognosis of patients suffering from both conditions.
Highlights
Anxiety is associated with poorer prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD)
While some studies assessed the prevalence and prognostic implications of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in patients with CAD, to our knowledge, no prospective study has documented the potential consequences of panic disorder (PD) on these same outcomes
No study has investigated the role of PD and GAD on enrollment, participation and adherence to cardiac rehabilitation
Summary
Anxiety is associated with poorer prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Due to their severity and chronic course, anxiety disorders, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder (PD), are of considerable interest and clinical importance in this population. The management of psychosocial risk factors represents a particular challenge: while decades of research have demonstrated their importance in patients with CAD, the nature and implications of the relationship between CAD and anxiety disorders is not as well understood as that of other CAD risk factors [12,13,14,15,16,17]. Much of the research to date has focused on the role of depression, a growing number of studies suggest that anxiety may lead to negative outcomes in this population [18,19,20,21,22]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
