Psychosomatic Medicine, Vol 48, Issue 8 582-597, Copyright © 1986 by American Psychosomatic Society

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Psychologic predictors of psychosocial and medical outcomes in patients undergoing coronary angioplasty

RE Shaw, F Cohen, J Fishman-Rosen, MC Murphy, SH Stertzer, DA Clark and RK Myler

The relationship between psychologic variables (the match between repressive style and level of cardiac information, and anxiety level) and medical complications, re-stenosis (renarrowing), and psychosocial adjustment was studied in 97 patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) for treatment of narrowed coronary arteries. Three major findings emerged for outcomes measured 6 months after PTCA: repressors with a high level of cardiac information (coping style-information level mismatch) and no history of heart attack were at higher risk for late medical complications (p less than 0.001); sensitizers with a low level of cardiac information (coping style-information level mismatch) and whose PTCA was only moderately successful were at higher risk for re-stenosis of the artery previously widened during PTCA (p less than 0.01); and patients who were more anxious during hospitalization had poorer social functioning and more mood disturbance 6 months after PTCA (p less than 0.05). Thus, psychologic, information, and medical factors are important in predicting 6-month outcomes in patients undergoing PTCA.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. Frasure-Smith, F. Lesperance, G. Gravel, A. Masson, M. Juneau, and M. G. Bourassa Long-Term Survival Differences Among Low-Anxious, High-Anxious and Repressive Copers Enrolled in the Montreal Heart Attack Readjustment Trial Psychosom Med, July 1, 2002; 64(4): 571 - 579. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Herpetic Eye Disease Study Group Psychological Stress and Other Potential Triggers for Recurrences of Herpes Simplex Virus Eye Infections Arch Ophthalmol, December 1, 2000; 118(12): 1617 - 1625. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]