Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Risk Factors in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction After Emergency Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Longitudinal Study

Changes and Diagnostic Significance of miR-542-3p Expression in Patients with Myocardial Infarction

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a heart lesion, that endangers the life safety of patients. This study focused on exploring the clinical effect of miR-542-3p on AMI and no-reflow after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Serum samples were collected from 100 AMI emergency inpatients. The expression of miR-542-3p was quantified by qPCR. The predictive role of miR-542-3p was disclosed by plotting ROC curve. In addition, AMI subjects were cataloged into a group of no-reflow and normal reflow group. The risk factors of no-reflow were estimated by logistic regression analysis. In the serum samples of AMI patients, the level of miR-542-3p showed a pattern of decreasing. MiR-542-3p expression represented a high sensitivity and specificity of the prediction of AMI. A decrease of miR-542-3p content was revealed in AMI patients without reflow after PCI. Logistic regression results reflected that miR-542-3p was an independent biomarker for no-reflow. The declined miR-542-3p expression was a predictive marker for AMI and no-reflow in AMI patients.

Virtual reality-based cognitive-behavioural therapy for the treatment of anxiety in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a randomised clinical trial

Background

The presence of mental health conditions is pervasive in patients who experienced acute myocardial infarction (AMI), significantly disrupting their recovery. Providing timely and easily accessible psychological interventions using virtual reality-based cognitive-behavioural therapy (VR-CBT) could potentially improve both acute and long-term symptoms affecting their mental health.

Aims

We aim to examine the effectiveness of VR-CBT on anxiety symptoms in patients with AMI who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) during the acute stage of their illness.

Methods

In this single-blind randomised clinical trial, participants with anxiety symptoms who were admitted to the ICU due to AMI were continuously recruited from December 2022 to February 2023. Patients who were Han Chinese aged 18-75 years were randomly assigned (1:1) via block randomisation to either the VR-CBT group to receive VR-CBT in addition to standard mental health support, or the control group to receive standard mental health support only. VR-CBT consisted of four modules and was delivered at the bedside over a 1-week period. Assessments were done at baseline, immediately after treatment and at 3-month follow-up. The intention-to-treat analysis began in June 2023. The primary outcome measure was the changes in anxiety symptoms as assessed by the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A).

Results

Among 148 randomised participants, 70 were assigned to the VR-CBT group and 78 to the control group. The 1-week VR-CBT intervention plus standard mental health support significantly reduced the anxiety symptoms compared with standard mental health support alone in terms of HAM-A scores at both post intervention (Cohen's d=-1.27 (95% confidence interval (CI): -1.64 to -0.90, p<0.001) and 3-month follow-up (Cohen's d=-0.37 (95% CI: -0.72 to -0.01, p=0.024). Of the 70 participants who received VR-CBT, 62 (88.6%) completed the entire intervention. Cybersickness was the main reported adverse event (n=5).

Conclusions

Our results indicate that VR-CBT can significantly reduce post-AMI anxiety at the acute stage of the illness; the improvement was maintained at the 3-month follow-up.

Trial registration number

The trial was registered at www.chictr.org.cn with the identifier: ChiCTR2200066435.

Meta-analysis of risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder in myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder in patients with myocardial infarction.

METHODS

Cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with myocardial infarction were searched from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, and Technology Journal database. The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale was used to score the quality of the included literature in the cohort and case-control studies, and the cross-sectional studies were scored using the American Agency for Health Care Quality and Research cross-sectional study quality evaluation criteria. The literature was screened independently by 2 researchers, and if there was no consensus, the inclusion was decided by a third party. The extraction content included first author, publication year, sample size, PTSD assessment tool, PTSD assessment time, PTSD incidence, influencing factors, and study type. Meta-analysis of data was performed using Stata17.0 software.

RESULTS

Ten studies were included, including 2 cohort studies, 7 cross-sectional studies, and 1 case-control study, with a total sample size of 2371 patients, including 26 influencing factors. The results of meta-analysis showed that the prevalence of PTSD in patients with myocardial infarction was 21.2%. Statistically significant influencing factors were gender (odd ratio [OR] = 3.124), neuroticism score (OR = 2.069), and age (OR = 0.913).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of PTSD in patients with myocardial infarction in China is higher than that in other countries. Female and neurotic personality are risk factors for developing PTSD in patients with myocardial infarction, and old age is protective factor for developing PTSD in patients with myocardial infarction. Targeted measures should be taken to prevent and reduce the occurrence and development of PTSD in patients with myocardial infarction in the future.

Cardiac function and posttraumatic stress disorder: a review of the literature and case report

INTRODUCTION

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can induce an elevation in sympathetic tone; however, research pertaining to the cardiac cycle in patients with PTSD is limited.

METHODS

A literature review was conducted with PubMed, MEDLINE and Web of Science. Articles discussing changes and associations in echocardiography and PTSD or related symptoms were synthesized for the current review. We have also included data from a case report of a male participant aged 33 years experiencing potentially psychologically traumatic events, who wore a noninvasive cardiac sensor to assess the timing intervals and contractility parameters of the cardiac cycle using seismocardiography. The intervals included systolic time, isovolumic contraction time (IVCT) and isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT). Calculations of systolic (IVCT/systole), diastolic (IVRT/systole) and myocardial [(IVCT+IVRT)/systole] performance indices were completed.

RESULTS

The review identified 55 articles, 14 of which assessed cardiac function using echocardiography in patients with PTSD symptoms. Cardiac dysfunction varied across studies, with diastolic and systolic impairments found in patients with PTSD. Our case study showed that occupational stress elevated cardiac performance indices, suggesting increased ventricular stress and supporting results in the existing literature.

CONCLUSIONS

The literature review results suggest that a controlled approach to assessing cardiac function in patients with PTSD is required. The case study results further suggest that acute bouts of stress can alter cardiac function, with potential for sustained occupational stress to induce changes in cardiac function. Cardiac monitoring can be used prospectively to identify changes induced by potentially psychologically traumatic event exposures that can lead to the development of PTSD symptoms.

Effects of empowerment education on patients after percutaneous coronary intervention: A meta-analysis and systematic review

BACKGROUND

Empowerment education is a new nursing education model with great significance in the process of chronic disease rehabilitation, and a number of studies have found that it has good benefits for patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). But there is no meta-analysis on how empowerment education influence the life of patients after PCI.

AIMS

Our study intends to evaluate the impact of empowerment education on the quality of life, cognitive level, anxiety and depression level of patients after PCI.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis, following PRISMA guidelines.

METHODS

RevMan5.4 software and R software were used for statistical analysis. Mean difference or standard mean difference was used as effect analysis statistic for continuous variables with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

Six studies met the inclusion criteria, including 641 patients. The Exercise of Self-Care Agency Scale score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group, with statistically significant difference. Empowerment education could increase the knowledge of coronary heart disease in patients after PCI, but the difference was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Significant effects of empowerment have been found in improving patients' quality of life and self-care ability. Empowerment education could be a safe exercise option in PCI rehabilitation. However, the effect of empowerment on cognitive level for coronary heart disease and the depression needs to carry out more large-sample, multi-center clinical trials.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

A data-analysis researcher and 3 clinicians are responsible for the writing, and no patients participated in the writing of this paper.