Prevalence of hostility in young coronary artery disease patients and effects of cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training

A Systematic Review of the Completion of Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs for Adults Aged 18-50 Years

OBJECTIVE

To perform a systematic review of completion rates of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in adults aged 18 to 50 yr and describe how core components were reported, measured, and tailored to those under 50 yr.

REVIEW METHODS

Database search of MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library based on keywords, including articles from January 1, 1990. The last search was performed on April 21, 2023. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses protocol, eligible articles contained adults (aged between 18 and 50 yr) who had participated in a CR program.

SUMMARY

Out of the articles screened (n = 24,517), 33 reports across 31 independent studies were considered eligible (n = 1958 patients aged ≤50 yr). Cardiac rehabilitation completion rates ranged from 64% to 100%; however, only 5 studies presented a completion rate definition. The length of the program ranged from 7 d to 20 wk, with most (65%) ranging between 6 and 12 wk. While the studies included in this systematic review indicated relatively high rates of completing CR, these are likely to overrepresent the true completion rates as few definitions were provided that could be compared to completion rates used in clinical practice. This systematic review also found that all interventions prescribed exercise (eg, aerobic alone or combined with resistance training or yoga) but had very limited inclusion or description of other integral components of CR (eg, initial assessment and smoking cessation) or how they were assessed and individualized to meet the needs of younger attendees.

Kellner's Symptom Questionnaire, a Highly Sensitive Patient-Reported Outcome Measure: Systematic Review of Clinimetric Properties

INTRODUCTION

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are of increasing importance in clinical medicine. However, their evaluation by classic psychometric methods carries considerable limitations. The clinimetric approach provides a viable framework for their assessment.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper was to provide a systematic review of clinimetric properties of the Symptom Questionnaire (SQ), a simple, self-rated instrument for the assessment of psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, hostility, and somatization) and well-being (contentment, relaxation, friendliness, and physical well-being).

METHODS

The PRISMA guidelines were used. Electronic databases were searched from inception up to March 2019. Only original research articles, published in English, reporting data about the clinimetric properties of the SQ, were included.

RESULTS

A total of 284 studies was selected. The SQ has been used in populations of adults, adolescents, and older individuals. The scale significantly discriminated between subgroups of subjects in both clinical and nonclinical settings, and differentiated medical and psychiatric patients from healthy controls. In longitudinal studies and in controlled pharmacological and psychotherapy trials, it was highly sensitive to symptoms and well-being changes and discriminated between the effects of psychotropic drugs and placebo.

CONCLUSIONS

The SQ is a highly sensitive clinimetric index. It may yield clinical information that similar scales would fail to provide and has a unique position among the PROs that are available. Its use in clinical trials is strongly recommended.

Acute Myocardial Infarction in Young Individuals

Globally, cardiovascular disease remains a major cause of adverse outcomes in young individuals, unlike its decline in other age groups. This group is not well studied and has a unique risk profile with less traditional cardiovascular risk factors compared with older populations. Plaque rupture still remains the most common etiology of myocardial infarction, but unique syndromes such as plaque erosion, coronary microvascular dysfunction, spontaneous coronary artery dissection, and coronary spasm related to drug use are more prevalent in this age group. Such diversity of diagnosis and presentation, along with therapeutic implications, underscore the need to study the profile of myocardial infarction in young persons. We searched PubMed for articles published from 1980 to 218 using the terms acute myocardial infarction, young, plaque rupture, plaque erosion, spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), coronary vasospasm, variant or Prinzmetal angina, drug-induced myocardial infarction, myocarditis, coronary embolism, microvascular dysfunction, MINOCA, and myocardial infarction in pregnancy and reviewed all the published studies. With the data from this search, we aim to inform readers of the prevalence, risk factors, presentation, and management of acute myocardial infarction in young patients and elaborate on special subgroups with diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. We also outline a parsimonious method designed to simplify management of these complex patients.

Exercise Counteracts the Cardiotoxicity of Psychosocial Stress

Physical inactivity and psychosocial stress are prevalent in residents of the United States. The purpose of this article is to review the interaction between these 2 conditions and examine the effects of exercise on stress and cardiovascular (CV) health. A query of scientific references between 1974 to 2018 was performed using the PubMed search engine accessing the MEDLINE database using the search terms psychosocial stress, CV disease (CVD), physical activity, exercise, cardiac rehabilitation, and team sports. Psychosocial stress is a strong independent risk factor for adverse CV events. Conversely, people who experience CV events subsequently have drastically elevated rates of new-onset mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety. Psychosocial stress and CVD often trigger self-reinforcing feedback loops that can worsen mental health and cardiac prognosis. Exercise predictably improves CV health and prognosis and also is effective at lowering levels of psychosocial stress. Group exercise in particular seems to provide social support while at the same time boosting fitness levels and, thus, may be the single most important intervention for patients with concomitant CVD and emotional stress. Collaborative physical activity, such as group exercise, team sports, interactive physical play, and cardiac rehabilitation programs, have the potential to improve mental health and CV prognosis.

Gender, race and cardiac rehabilitation in the United States: is there a difference in care?

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death within the United States, involving both genders and among all races and ethnic populations. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has been shown to significantly improve morbidity and mortality, and these benefits extend to individuals of both genders and all ages with coronary heart disease. Despite this, referral and participation rates remain surprisingly low. Furthermore, women and minorities have even lower referral rates than do their male and white counterparts. Over the course of this article, we will review CR referral and participation among women, as well as racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. We will also examine barriers to CR participation among these subgroups.

Stress-related hemodynamic response in healthy young individuals with Type D personality

Aim. To investigate the association between the stress-related hemodynamic response during the mental calculation test (MCT) and the presence of Type D personality in healthy young individuals. Material and methods. The study included 80 healthy individuals (19 men and 61 women; mean age 18,8±0,2 years). Psychological status examination included the DS-14 scale, depression scale, and Spielberger-Khanin scale. MCT was performed with simultaneous assessment of hemodynamic response. Results. Type D personality (distressed type) was observed in 32,5% of the participants. Among young students, Type D personality was associated with higher levels of trait and state anxiety (TA and SA), as well as higher depression scale scores, compared to students without Type D personality. Type D personality was also linked to a more pronounced response of systolic blood pressure (SBP) during MCT (p=0,05). There was a strong correlation between social inhibition levels and maximal heart rate (HR) during MCT (r=-0,238; p=0,034). Young men demonstrated a moderate correlation between Type D personality and HR response (r=-0,508; p=0,026), as well as between negative affectivity levels and HR response during MCT (r=0,469; p=0,043). Conclusion. Distressed personality type was observed in one-third of healthy young participants of the study. Type D personality and its subscales correlated with the hemodynamic response during MCT, with some gender-specific features observed. These findings clarify potential mechanisms of Type D personality effects on the development and prognosis of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiologic side effects of psychotropic drugs

Psychotropic drugs can produce cardiovascular side effects associated with a degree of cardiotoxicity. The coexistence of a heart disease complicates the management of mental illness, can contribute to a reduced quality of life and a worse illness course. The co-occurrence of psychiatric disorders in cardiac patients might affect the clinical outcome and morbidity. Moreover, the complex underlying mechanism that links these two conditions remains unclear. This paper discusses the known cardiovascular complications of psychotropic drugs and analyzes the important implications of antidepressive treatment in patients with previous cardiac history.

Relative importance of comorbid psychological symptoms in patients with depressive symptoms following phase II cardiac rehabilitation

BACKGROUND

Previous research has demonstrated a high prevalence of psychological risk factors in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), as well as the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on psychological distress (PD) in showing its potential to improve mortality. We examined the impact of CR on mortality by anxiety and/or hostility symptoms in a large population of CHD patients with symptoms of depression following CR.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We studied 538 patients with CHD who had completed formal CR. Using a validated questionnaire, symptoms of PD were obtained in 3 domains: anxiety, hostility, and depression. Subjects were divided into 3 groups: nondepressed (n = 502), depression alone (n = 14), and depression with anxiety and/or hostility (n = 22). A multivariate analysis for mortality was performed using a composite PD score (PD = sum of scores for anxiety, depression, and hostility). Subjects were analyzed by total mortality over 3-year follow-up by the National Death Index.

RESULTS

Mortality was significantly higher in the group with depressive symptoms compared with those without depressive symptoms (19% vs 3%; P < 0.0001). The comorbid depressed group had a slight trend toward higher mortality (22.7% [5 of 22 patients] vs 14% [2 of 14 patients]; P = 0.52). After adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), ejection fraction, exercise tolerance, and sex using Cox proportional regression, the number of psychiatric comorbidities (ie, depression, anxiety, and hostility), as well as the sum of their raw scores, were significantly associated with increased mortality. However, this effect disappeared after adjusting for depression score (comorbidity hazard ratio, 1.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-2.8 vs comorbidity hazard ratio, 1.2; 95% confidence interval, 0.4-3.7 after adjusting).

CONCLUSION

Psychological distress is an independent predictor of mortality in stable CHD patients following CR; although anxiety and hostility may also modulate this effect, the overall impact seems to be mostly mediated through depression. Patients with persistent depression following CR may need further intervention.

Psychological risk factors and cardiovascular disease: is it all in your head?

Psychological stress has been shown to be associated with cardiovascular disease. Over the past few decades, there has been an increasing interest in this relationship, leading to a growing pool of clinical and epidemiological data on the subject. Psychological stress has multiple etiologies, which include behavioral causes, acute events or stressors, and/or chronic stress. Cardiac rehabilitation and exercise therapy have been shown to provide protection in primary and secondary coronary heart disease prevention, as well as improve overall morbidity and mortality. In this article, we review the available data regarding the association between psychological stress and cardiovascular disease, as well as the impact of cardiac rehabilitation and exercise therapy on psychological stress-related cardiovascular events.

Impact of physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and exercise training on markers of inflammation

Physical activity and exercise training (ET) enhance overall cardiorespiratory fitness (ie, fitness), thus producing many benefits in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Substantial evidence also indicates that acute and chronic inflammation is involved in the development and progression of atherosclerosis and major cardiovascular events. The most commonly utilized marker of inflammation is C-reactive protein (CRP). In this review, we discuss the importance of inflammation, especially CRP, as a cardiovascular risk marker by reviewing an abundant cross-sectional and clinical intervention literature providing evidence that physical activity, enhanced fitness, and ET are inversely associated with CRP and that being overweight or obese is directly related with inflammation/CRP. Although we discuss the controversy regarding whether or not ET reduces CRP independent of weight loss, clearly physical activity, improved fitness, and ET are associated with reductions in inflammation and overall cardiovascular risk in both primary and secondary prevention.

Cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training in secondary coronary heart disease prevention

Substantial evidence indicates that increased levels of physical activity, exercise training, and overall cardiorespiratory fitness provide protection in primary and secondary coronary heart disease (CHD) prevention. Clearly, cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training (CRET) programs have been greatly underused in patients with CHD. We review the benefits of formal CRET programs on CHD risk factors including exercise capacity, obesity indices, plasma lipids, inflammation, and psychosocial stress as well as overall morbidity and mortality. These data support the fact that patients with CHD, especially after major CHD events, need routine referral to CRET programs; and patients should be vigorously encouraged to attend these valuable programs.

Impact of exercise training on psychological risk factors

Although the role of psychological risk factors has been underemphasized, considerable evidence indicates the adverse effects of various psychosocial stressors in the pathogenesis and recovery from cardiovascular diseases. Substantial data, especially from cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training programs, have demonstrated the role of physical activity, exercise training, and cardiorespiratory fitness, to improve psychological risk factors, including depression, anxiety, hostility, and total psychological stress, as well as stress-related mortality.

The obesity paradox, weight loss, and coronary disease

PURPOSE

Because obesity is a cardiovascular risk factor but is associated with a more favorable prognosis among cohorts of cardiac patients, we assessed this "obesity paradox" in overweight and obese patients with coronary heart disease enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training (CRET) program, making this assessment in patients classified as overweight/obese using both traditional body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat assessments. Additionally, we assessed the efficacy and safety of purposeful weight loss in overweight and obese coronary patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively studied 529 consecutive CRET patients following major coronary events before and after CRET, and compared baseline and post program data in 393 overweight and obese patients (body mass index [BMI] > or =25 kg/m(2)) divided by median weight change (median=-1.5%; mean +2% vs -5%, respectively). In addition, we assessed 3-year total mortality in various baseline BMI categories as well as compared mortality in those with high baseline percent fat (>25% in men and >35% in women) versus those with low baseline fat.

RESULTS

Following CRET, the overweight and obese with greater weight loss had improvements in BMI (-5%; P <.0001), percent fat (-8%; P <.0001), peak oxygen consumption (+16%; P <.0001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-5%; P <.02), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (+10%; P <.0001), triglycerides (-17%; P <.0001), C-reactive protein (-40%; P <.0001), and fasting glucose (-4%; P=.02), as well as marked improvements in behavioral factors and quality-of-life scores. Those with lower weight loss had no significant improvements in percent fat, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, and fasting glucose. During 3-year follow-up, overall mortality trended only slightly lower in those with baseline overweightness/obesity who had more weight loss (3.1% vs 5.1%; P=.30). However, total mortality was considerably lower in the baseline overweight/obese (BMI > or =25 kg/m(2)) than in 136 CRET patients with baseline BMI <25 kg/m(2) (4.1% vs 13.2%; P <.001), as well as in those with high baseline fat compared with those with low fat (3.8% vs 10.6%; P <.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Purposeful weight loss with CRET in overweight/obese coronary patients is associated with only a nonsignificant trend for lower mortality but is characterized by marked improvements in obesity indices, exercise capacity, plasma lipids, and inflammation, as well as behavioral factors and quality of life. Although an "obesity paradox" exists using either baseline BMI or baseline percent fat criteria, these results support the safety and potential long-term benefits of purposeful weight loss in overweight and obese patients with coronary heart disease.

Impact of worksite wellness intervention on cardiac risk factors and one-year health care costs

Cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training (CRET) provides health risk intervention in cardiac patients over a relatively short time frame. Worksite health programs offer a unique opportunity for health intervention, but these programs remain underused due to concerns over recouping the costs. We evaluated the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a 6-month worksite health intervention using staff from CRET. Employees (n = 308) and spouses (n = 31) of a single employer were randomized to active intervention (n = 185) consisting of worksite health education, nutritional counseling, smoking cessation counseling, physical activity promotion, selected physician referral, and other health counseling versus usual care (n = 154). Health risk status was assessed at baseline and after the 6-month intervention program, and total medical claim costs were obtained in all participants during the year before and the year after intervention. Significant improvements were demonstrated in quality-of-life scores (+10%, p = 0.001), behavioral symptoms (depression -33%, anxiety -32%, somatization -33%, and hostility -47%, all p values <0.001), body fat (-9%, p = 0.001), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (+13%, p = 0.0001), diastolic blood pressure (-2%, p = 0.01), health habits (-60%, p = 0.0001), and total health risk (-25%, p = 0.0001). Of employees categorized as high risk at baseline, 57% were converted to low-risk status. Average employee annual claim costs decreased 48% (p = 0.002) for the 12 months after the intervention, whereas control employees' costs remained unchanged (-16%, p = NS), thus creating a sixfold return on investment. In conclusion, worksite health intervention using CRET staff decreased total health risk and markedly decreased medical claim costs within 12 months.

Reducing psychosocial stress: a novel mechanism of improving survival from exercise training

BACKGROUND

Exercise training reduces mortality in patients with coronary artery disease. Behavioral characteristics, including depression, hostility, and overall psychosocial stress, have been shown to be independent risk factors for recurrent myocardial infarction and death in these patients. Exercise training can reduce these high-risk behaviors, but it remains uncertain as to what extent the health benefits of exercise training can be attributed to improving these behaviors.

METHODS

We evaluated the impact of exercise training during cardiac rehabilitation on mortality in 53 patients with coronary artery disease with high levels of psychosocial stress and in 469 patients with coronary artery disease with low levels of psychosocial stress and compared them with 27 control patients with high psychosocial stress who did not undergo formal cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training.

RESULTS

Mortality was approximately 4-fold greater in patients with high psychosocial stress than in those with low psychosocial stress (22% vs 5%; P = .003). Exercise training decreased the prevalence of psychosocial stress from 10% to 4% (P<.0001) and similarly improved peak oxygen uptake in patients with high and low psychosocial stress. Mortality in patients who improved exercise capacity by>or=10% (high exercise change) was 60% lower than in patients who had<10% improvement in exercise capacity (low exercise change) (P=.009). Mortality was lower in patients with high psychosocial stress with high exercise change compared with patients with high psychosocial stress with low exercise change (0% vs 19%; P=.009). In contrast, there was no significant improvement in mortality in patients with high versus low exercise change with low psychosocial stress (4% vs 8%; P=.14).

CONCLUSION

Psychosocial stress is an independent risk factor for mortality in patients with coronary artery disease, and exercise training can effectively reduce its prevalence. Exercise training reduces mortality in patients with coronary artery disease, and this effect seems to be mediated in part because of the salutary effects of exercise on psychosocial stress.

Exercise training and cardiac rehabilitation in primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease

Substantial data have established a sedentary lifestyle as a major modifiable risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). Increased levels of physical activity, exercise training, and overall cardiorespiratory fitness have provided protection in the primary and secondary prevention of CHD. This review surveys data from observational studies supporting the benefits of physical activity, exercise training, and overall cardiorespiratory fitness in primary prevention. Clearly, cardiac rehabilitation/secondary prevention (CRSP) programs have been greatly underused by patients with CHD. We review the benefits of CRSP programs on CHD risk factors, psychological factors, and overall CHD morbidity and mortality. These data support the routine referral of patients with CHD to CRSP programs. Patients should be vigorously encouraged to attend these programs.

Clinical evidence for a health benefit from cardiac rehabilitation: an update

The recent decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to expand the indications for cardiac rehabilitation (CR) provides an opportunity to review the clinical evidence of the efficacy of exercise in the CR setting for patients who have experienced an acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, stable angina, percutaneous coronary intervention, chronic heart failure, cardiac transplant, or cardiac valve repair/replacement. Evidence shows that physician-directed, exercise-based CR positively affects the basic pathophysiology of coronary artery disease, the extent of disability and level of quality of life, and the ability to potentially impact events of both morbidity and mortality. The role of CR, including regular exercise, lifestyle modification, and appropriate medical therapy, is effective in younger and older men and women with cardiac diagnoses. The efficacy of this important therapeutic modality warrants its more widespread application.

Behavioral cardiology: recognizing and addressing the profound impact of psychosocial stress on cardiovascular health

Psychosocial stress exerts independent adverse effects on cardiovascular health. The recent INTERHEART study reported that psychosocial stress accounted for approximately 30% of the attributable risk of acute myocardial infarction. Prospective studies consistently indicate that hostility, depression, and anxiety are all related to increased risk of coronary heart disease and cardiovascular death. A sense of hopelessness, in particular, appears to be strongly correlated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Time urgency and impatience have not been consistently related to risk of coronary disease, but do increase the likelihood of developing hypertension. Psychosocial stress appears to adversely affect autonomic and hormonal homeostasis, resulting in metabolic abnormalities, inflammation, insulin resistance, and endothelial dysfunction. Additionally, stress is often associated with self-destructive behavior and noncompliance with medications. Psychosocial stress is a highly modifiable risk and many factors have been shown to be protective. These include psychosocial support, regular exercise, stress reduction training, sense of humor, optimism, altruism, faith, and pet ownership. Simple screening questions are available to reliably indicate a patient at risk for psychosocial stress-related health problems.

Psychosocial predictors of cardiac rehabilitation quality-of-life outcomes

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated hostility, social support, coping, depression, and their contributions to concurrent and posttreatment quality of life (QoL) among a group of patients participating in a 6-week cardiac rehabilitation program.

METHOD

Both direct and mediational relationships among psychosocial factors, QoL baseline, and QoL outcome were examined using structural equation modeling analysis, while age, education, and severity of illness (risk for future event) were controlled.

RESULTS

The final model was well supported (chi(2)=64.88, df=56, P>.05; CFI=.99, RMSEA=.04). Results indicated that baseline QoL, hostility, and depressive symptom severity directly and independently predicted QoL outcome, while depression and hostility were also associated with baseline QoL. Hostility, social support, and maladaptive coping also contributed to baseline and follow-up QoL by their associations with depression.

CONCLUSION

Psychosocial characteristics were interrelated, and they predicted postrehabilitation QoL outcome directly or indirectly through depression symptom severity.