Physical activity and negative emotional response after percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were to investigate the association between negative emotional response (NER) and physical activity levels in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients, and to examine the extent to which physical activity levels were influenced by factors such as the patients' age, sex, and attendance at a cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programme. METHODS: A consecutive series of 200 PCI patients [mean age 59.0 (+/-10.1) years] completed telephone interviews 2 weeks and 6 months after their procedure. NER was assessed using 12 items addressing patients' perceptions and concerns regarding symptoms, diagnosis and prognosis. Physical activity was assessed by asking four questions relating to the frequency and duration of walking and of moderate activity. CR attendance, medical history and sociodemographic data were also collected. Hierarchical linear regression was used to assess the association between NER and physical activity over time. RESULTS: After controlling for baseline levels of moderate activity and other covariates, NER significantly predicted change in moderate activity over 6 months. Only baseline walking levels predicted the duration and frequency of walking at 6 months. CONCLUSION: NER can be considered an inhibitive factor towards increased moderate activity uptake after PCI. Walking after PCI does not appear to be affected by NER. These findings highlight the need to focus on improving the emotional aspects of patients' recovery.