Key result
Virtual reality therapy significantly reduced preprocedural anxiety compared to usual care in patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography after adjusting for baseline anxiety.
Why the study?
Anxiety affects one-third of patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography, and commonly administered benzodiazepines have modest efficacy.
Does virtual reality therapy reduce preprocedural anxiety in adults undergoing invasive coronary angiography?
Population
99 adults undergoing ICA with an NRS anxiety score of 4 or more
Comparison
2 preprocedural VR therapy sessions plus usual care vs usual care alone
Design
Randomized controlled trial
Authors
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VR did not reduce preprocedural anxiety before ICA; leaves open adjunctive role after baseline adjustment, especially in NSTE-ACS.
RCT (n=99)
Open-label
Randomized
No
Does virtual reality therapy reduce preprocedural anxiety in adults undergoing invasive coronary angiography?
Mean Difference: 0.9 (95% CI 0.2–1.6)
Absolute Event Rate: 4.2% vs 5.1%
p-value: p=0.010
Virtual reality therapy is a safe and viable nonpharmacological adjunct that significantly reduces preprocedural anxiety in patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography when adjusting for baseline anxiety, with the greatest benefit seen in NSTE-ACS patients.
Groenveld et al. (2025) conducted an RCT in Preprocedural anxiety in patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography (n=99). Virtual reality (VR) therapy vs. Usual care (including selective benzodiazepines) was evaluated on Preprocedural numeric rating scale (NRS) anxiety score (MD 0.9, 95% CI 0.2-1.6, p=0.010). Virtual reality therapy significantly reduced preprocedural anxiety compared to usual care in patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography after adjusting for baseline anxiety.
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