The impact of angina and cardiac history on health-related quality of life and depression in coronary heart disease patients

Abstract

To prospectively examine the contribution of angina and cardiac history to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and depression in cardiac patients, over 6 months post-hospitalization. Participants were myocardial infarction (MI), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) outpatients under the age of 70 years. One hundred and seventy-one patients consented to participate, with 121 patients being retained 6 months later (71% response rate). The impact of the patient's cardiac history and the presence of angina on physical, social and emotional HRQoL and depression was examined. At baseline, cardiac history was not significantly related to any of the dimensions of HRQoL or depression. At 6-month follow-up, cardiac history significantly predicted a higher level of depression, and angina was predictive of a significantly worse emotional, physical and social HRQoL and a higher level of depression. The presence of a cardiac history is associated with depression 6 months post-cardiac event, and angina is associated with both an adverse HRQoL and higher levels of depression. As past research has demonstrated that depression is a risk factor for mortality in patients with established heart disease, it is important from both a clinical and a research perspective to address these issues.