Psychosocial variables in relation to various risk factors in patients with stable angina pectoris

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate relationships between psychosocial variables and common risk factors such as age, concomitant diseases (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, heart failure) and smoking habits in patients with stable angina pectoris. SETTING: University Hospital. SUBJECTS: Participants in the Angina Prognosis Study in Stockholm (APSIS), which comprised 809 patients (248 females) <70 years of age, with chronic stable angina pectoris, of whom 767 (236 females) participated in the present report. Patients with angina pectoris occurring only at rest constituted one group, patients with angina pectoris on effort with or without angina at rest were stratified according to signs of marked ischaemia on exercise and/or clinical signs of heart failure. METHODS: Psychosomatic symptoms, job strain, Type-A behaviour, sleep disturbances and overall life satisfaction were evaluated by a structured interview, which also included questions regarding how the patients usually felt, and health related problems, according to a standardized check-list. RESULTS: Age correlated with several psychosomatic symptoms and tendency to worry. When adjusted for age and sex, patients with previous myocardial infarction and heart failure described more psychosomatic symptoms, but worried less about the future than patients without these diseases. In the group with angina pectoris at rest only there were fewer smokers than amongst other groups, regardless of risk stratification. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking habits and concomitant diseases influence psychosocial variables in patients with stable angina pectoris. The severity of angina pectoris does not seem to relate to life satisfaction and attitudes towards the future.