Bernard D. Beitman

Chest pain: Relationship of psychiatric illness to coronary arteriographic results

Seventy-four patients with chest pain and no prior history of organic heart disease were interviewed with a structured psychiatric interview immediately after coronary arteriography. The majority of patients with both negative and positive coronary angiographies had undergone previous exercise tolerance tests, but the patients with angiographic coronary artery disease were significantly more likely to have had positive results on a treadmill test. Patients with chest pain and negative coronary arteriograms were significantly younger; more likely to be female; more apt to have a higher number of autonomic symptoms (tachycardia, dyspnea, dizziness, and paresthesias) associated with chest pain, and more likely to describe atypical chest pain. Patients with chest pain and normal coronary arteriographic results also had significantly higher psychologic scores on indices of anxiety and depression and were significantly more likely to meet criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition, for panic disorder (43 percent versus 6.5 percent), major depression (36 percent versus 4 percent), and two or more phobias (36 percent versus 15 percent) than were patients with chest pain and a coronary arteriography study demonstrating coronary artery stenosis.

Panic disorder in patients with chest pain and angiographically normal coronary arteries

Although patients with angiographically normal or near normal coronary arteries are at low risk for cardiac disease, several follow-up studies have shown that many continue to report recurrent chest pain associated with social and work dysfunction. Three diagnostic entities have been proposed to explain the morbidity of this group: microvascular angina, esophageal motility disorders and panic disorder. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that panic disorder is found frequently in patients with chest pain who have normal epicardial vessels. Ninety-four subjects with angiographically normal coronary arteries were interviewed according to a structured psychiatric protocol within 24 hours of their catheterizations. Thirty-two (34%) fit Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (third edition, revised) criteria for current panic disorder. Because panic disorder can be effectively treated, physicians should consider this diagnosis in this group of patients. Current research findings suggest that panic disorder, microvascular angina and esophageal disorders may each form the basis for chest pain in approximately 25% of these patients. Miscellaneous problems account for the other 25%.

Non-fearful panic disorder: panic attacks without fear.

Abstract Twelve of 38 cardiology patients with chest pain and current panic disorder reported that during their last major panic attack they did not experience intense fear, nor did they experience fear of dying, fear of loss of control or fear of going crazy. Using the DSM-III(R) criteria, they were diagnosed as non-fearful panic disorder (NFPD), and contrasted with the other 26 S s on several descriptive and self-report measures. The NFPD group reported significantly fewer phobias but was no different on reports of depression and several panic attack variables. The NFPD group scored lower on only three of 18 self-report scales. These results suggest that the DSM-III(R) defined NFPD S s resemble those who report the subjective experience of anxiety during their attacks.

Panic disorder in coronary artery disease patients with noncardiac chest pain

In this study we address the following questions: (1) What percentage of coronary artery disease (CAD) patients that present with chest pain, but whose symptoms cannot be fully explained by their cardiac status, suffer from panic disorder (PD)? (2) How do patients with both CAD and PD compare to patients without CAD and to patients without either PD or CAD in terms of psychological distress? Four hundred forty-one consecutive walk-in emergency department patients with chest pain underwent a structured psychiatric interview (ADIS-R) and completed psychological scales. Fifty-seven percent (250 of 441) of these patients were diagnosed as having noncardiac chest pain and constituted this studys sample. A total of 30% (74 of 250) of noncardiac chest pain patients had a documented history of CAD. Thirty-four percent (25 of 74) of CAD patients met criteria for PD. Patients with both PD and CAD displayed significantly more psychological distress than CAD patients without PD and patients with neither CAD nor PD. However, they did not differ from non-CAD patients with PD. PD is highly prevalent in patients with CAD that are discharged with noncardiac diagnoses. The psychological distress in these patients appears to be related to the panic syndrome and not to the presence of the cardiac condition.

CARDIOVASCULAR DEATH FROM PANIC DISORDER AND PANIC-LIKE ANXIETY: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Several symptoms of panic disorder mimic those of cardiovascular diseases and patients with this disorder frequently consult physicians with the fear of dying from a heart attack. The salient question is: Can the patient with panic disorder die from the cardiovascular consequences of his/her panic attacks? We critically review the six studies that have examined the association between panic disorder (or panic-like anxiety) and cardiovascular mortality or complications associated with the cardiovascular system. We then briefly review the evidence by which mechanisms panic may be linked to cardiovascular mortality and conclude with proposed guidelines for patient management.

Panic disorder without fear in patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries.

By DSM-III-R criteria, patients may be diagnosed as having panic disorder without reporting the experience of intense fear. However, if such patients do not report subjective fear, they may be less likely to receive a panic diagnosis. The authors studied 32 subjects with angiographically normal coronary arteries who fit panic disorder criteria. A total of 13 (41%) reported no fear during their last major attack. These subjects were contrasted with those who did report fear. Pew differences were found in group demographic data or responses to self-report questionnaires. We conclude that there appear to be few differences between the nonfear panic disorder subjects and those who do report fear. This conclusion awaits further support using challenge tests, medication trials, biological indices, alexithymia inventories, and family studies. The recognition of the existence of this subtype is likely to increase the number of patients receiving the panic disorder diagnosis in cardiology settings, in psychiatric settings, and in research projects using structured clinical interviews.

Detecting panic disorder in emergency department chest pain patients: A validated model to improve recognition

ObjectiveTo develop and validate a detection model to improve the probability of recognizing panic disorder in patients consulting the emergency department for chest pain.MethodsThrough logistic regression analysis, demographic, self-report psychological, and pain variables were explored as factors predictive of the presence of panic disorder in 180 consecutive patients consulting an emergency department with a chief complaint of chest pain. The detection model was then prospectively validated on a sample of 212 patients recruited following the same proceduce.ResultsPanic-agoraphobia (Agoraphobia Cognitions Questionnaire, Mobility Inventory for Agoraphobia), chest pain quality (Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire), pain loci, and gender variables were the best predictors of the presence of panic disorder. These variables correctly classified 84% of chest pain subjects in panic and non-panic disorder categories. Model properties: sensitivity 59%; specificity 93%; positive predictive power 75%; negative predictive power 87% at a panic disorder sample prevalence of 26%. The model correctly classified 73% of subjects in the validation phase.ConclusionThe scales in this model take approximately ten minutes to complete and score. It may improve upon current physician recognition of panic disorder in patients consulting for chest pain.

Major depression in cardiology chest pain patients without coronary artery disease and with panic disorder

104 patients in a cardiology clinic with atypical or non-anginal chest pain were studied through a structured clinical interview. 43 without coronary artery disease fit diagnostic criteria for panic disorder. 19 (44%) of this group reported a lifetime prevalence of major depression, nine (21%) current and ten (23%) past only. Nine reported that their major depressive episodes had preceded the onset of their panic disorder. On many self-report questionnaire scales the group with a lifetime history of major depression (n = 19) differed significantly from the group with no lifetime history of major depression (n = 24). These differences, however, could be attributed primarily to the group with current major depression. There appears to be a subgroup of panic disorder patients who have current major depression who are more symptomatic than those with panic disorder and past major depression and panic disorder alone. These findings also suggest that the association between panic disorder and depression may remain high outside of psychiatric settings.

GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER PATIENTS SEEK EVALUATION FOR CARDIOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS AT THE SAME FREQUENCY AS PATIENTS WITH PANIC DISORDER

Although panic disorder (PD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) have similar somatic symptoms, panic attacks with chest pain and/or palpitations may seem more likely to be mistaken for heart attacks because of their acute onset. One would therefore expect that PD patients are more likely than GAD patients to seek cardiological consultations. In a survey of 146 PD and 154 GAD patients entering a multi-site drug trial, we found virtually identical rates of such consults. Approximately 50% of each patient group sought medical evaluation for cardiac symptoms. Furthermore, 40% of each group had standard treadmill evaluations and 33% reported having an echocardiogram. This study suggests that future epidemiological studies in cardiology populations should include probes for generalized anxiety disorder.

Panic disorder in patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries

Several lines of investigation strongly support the notion that panic disorder afflicts at least one third of patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries and unexplained chest pain. Panic disorder is a common problem, affecting 1–2% of the U.S. population. Current research suggests an etiology that is both psychophysiologic and cognitive. The locus ceruleus and cortico-releasing factor are implicated in the biological circuit associated with panic attacks, while psychological research indicates that catastrophic thinking, phobic responses to somatic sensations, and repressed anger, grief, and traumatic events play a part in triggering attacks. Treatment consists of pharmacologic interventions, including antidepressants and benzodiazepines, as well as psychotherapeutic work focusing on catastrophic thinking and repressed anger, grief responses, and other traumatic experiences.