Ann Bengtson

Distress correlates with the degree of chest pain: a description of patients awaiting revascularisation.

AIM: To describe various symptoms other than pain among consecutive patients on the waiting list for possible coronary revascularisation in relation to estimated severity of chest pain. DESIGN: All patients were sent a postal questionnaire for symptom evaluation. SUBJECTS: All patients in western Sweden on the waiting list in September 1990 who had been referred for coronary angiography or coronary revascularisation (n = 904). RESULTS: 88% of the patients reported chest pain symptoms that limited their daily activities to a greater or lesser degree. Various psychological symptoms including anxiety and depression were strongly associated with the severity of pain (P < 0.001), as were sleep disturbances (P < 0.001), and dyspnoea and various psychosomatic symptoms (P < 0.001). Nevertheless only 44% of the patients reported chest pain as the major disruptive symptom, whereas the remaining 56% reported uncertainty about the future, fear, or unspecified symptoms as being the most disturbing. CONCLUSIONS: In a consecutive series of patients on the waiting list for possible coronary revascularisation, half the participants reported that uncertainty and fear were more disturbing than chest pain.

Smoking Habits in Consecutive Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction: Prognosis in Relation to Other Risk Indicators and to Whether or Not they Quit Smoking

In all patients hospitalized in one single hospital due to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during a period of 21 months, we describe the prognosis in relation to smoking habits and other risk indicators with death. Of 862 AMI patients, 37% reported smoking at the onset of AMI. Of the patients who smoked at the onset of AMI and who survived the first year, 53% reported having quit smoking. Patients who had quit smoking reported fewer symptoms of chest pain (p < 0.01), headache (p < 0.01) and dizziness (p < 0.001) as compared with patients who continued to smoke after one year. Of the patients who had quit smoking, the mortality during the subsequent 4 years was 17% as compared with 31% for patients who continued to smoke (p < 0.05). However, patients who quit smoking less frequently had a previous history of myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure. When correcting for such dissimilarities, quitting smoking did not remain significantly associated with prognosis.

Prognosis and gender differences in chest pain patients discharged from an ED

A large proportion of patients evaluated for chest pain in the emergency department (ED) will be sent home because the probability of acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, or other severe disease processes is determined to be sufficiently low. Patients who came to the ED at Sahlgrenska Hospital, Göteborg during a 21-month period because of chest pain were registered and followed up for one year. Survivors after one year were asked to complete a mailed questionnaire regarding different kinds of symptoms. Of 5,362 patients evaluated in the ED, 2,175 were sent home on their first visit. Fifty-four percent were men and 46% were women. The one-year mortality rate was 3% in men and 3% in women. Recurrent chest pain, dyspnea, and psychological symptoms were more frequently reported by patients with known cardiac disease than by patients without cardiac disease. Female patients with and without cardiac disease reported significantly more frequent recurrent chest pain, dyspnea, and psychological and psychosomatic complaints than male patients with and without cardiac disease. These data suggest that there are specific gender differences between men and women who are discharged from the ED after being evaluated for chest pain. In particular, psychological gender differences may exist and need to be addressed when evaluating patients with chest pain.

Ten-year mortality among patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction in relation to early diagnosis

Previous studies have compared the outcome between patients with and without a confirmed acute myocardial infarction (AMI) mainly during the first few years after its onset. Our aim was to compare the prognosis between patients with and without a confirmed AMI during 10 years of follow-up. Patients participating in an early intervention trial with metoprolol in suspected AMI between 1976 and 1981 took part in this evaluation. The total 10-year mortality rate including hospital mortality was 51% for patients with confirmed AMI as compared with 32% for patients with a possible AMI and 23% for patients in whom AMI was definitely ruled out (p < 0.001). The 10-year mortality after discharge from hospital was in AMI 46%, possible AMI 32% and in definitely ruled out AMI 23% (p < 0.001). When simultaneously considering age, sex, previous history of cardiovascular disease and smoking, the development of AMI appeared as an independent predictor of death (p < 0.001). Thus, among patients hospitalized due to suspected AMI, 10-year mortality after discharge from hospital was directly related to the diagnosis during the first 3 days in hospital.

Cardiovascular and psychosomatic symptoms among relatives of patients waiting for possible coronary revascularization.

OBJECTIVE To examine the consequences for close family members of patients on a waiting list for possible coronary revascularization. BACKGROUND An increasing number of patients with symptomatic ischemic heart disease require evaluation for possible revascularization. Many of these patients must wait a long time before receiving treatment. The negative consequences of this long wait for patients and their relatives have not been satisfactorily evaluated previously. DESIGN Cross-sectional descriptive study. SETTING All hospital in Southwestern Sweden. STUDY POPULATION One hundred relatives of patients referred for possible revascularization and a sex- and age-matched reference group. The convenience sample consisted of 85% (n = 76) women and 15% (n = 13) men. OUTCOME MEASURES Frequency of cardiovascular and psychosomatic symptoms. EVALUATION One hundred relatives and 100 members of the control group were sent a questionnaire to evaluate their clinical condition; working situation; use of tobacco, alcohol and sedatives; and cardiovascular and psychosomatic symptoms. RESULTS Family members had a significantly higher frequency of anxiety, depression, and irritability compared with the control group. Furthermore, family members reported sleeping disorders, including difficulty waking, tiredness due to lack of sleep, and restless sleep, more frequently than did the control group. CONCLUSION Close family members of patients waiting for coronary revascularization have particular difficulties, and these difficulties should receive more attention.

Cardiac complications during wait for coronary revascularization : How big a problem?

We investigated the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) diagnosed by coronary angiography performed because of suspected CAD in 102 persons, mean age 68 years, with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in 102 age-matched and sex-matched persons. CAD was diagnosed by coronary angiography in 80 of 102 persons (78%) with RA and in 79 of 102 persons (77%) without RA (P not significant). Three-vessel CAD was present in 31 of 102 persons (30%) with RA and in 8 of 102 persons (8%) without RA (P < 0.001). Coronary revascularization was performed in 71 of 102 persons (70%) with RA and in 23 of 102 persons (23%) without RA (P < 0.001). Older persons with RA with suspected CAD have a higher prevalence of 3-vessel CAD and a higher prevalence of coronary revascularization than age-matched and sex-matched persons with suspected CAD without RA.

Morbidity and quality of life 5 years after early intervention with metoprolol in suspected acute myocardial infarction.

In 1,395 patients in the age range 40-74 years participating in a double-blind trial with metoprolol in suspected acute myocardial infarction morbidity and quality of life were assessed during the first 5 years after randomization. During the first 3 months patients were given 200 mg metoprolol daily or placebo. Thereafter the two groups were treated similarly. Mortality during 5 years was 24.2% in patients originally randomized to metoprolol versus 25.7% in patients originally randomized to placebo (p greater than 0.2). No difference was observed regarding reinfarction rate, stroke or occurrence of bypass surgery during the 5-year follow-up. During the first 3 months 10% of patients in the metoprolol group were rehospitalized for various reasons versus 13% in the placebo group. The corresponding figures for 5 years were 59 and 60%, respectively. Among patients surviving 5 years 84% in both groups were on some medication of which beta-blockade was the dominating one. Symptoms of chest pain, dyspnea, claudicatio, smoking habits and working capacity did not differ and neither did quality of life according to the Nottingham Health Profile. We thus conclude that morbidity and quality of life were not significantly affected 5 years after early intervention with metoprolol in patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction.