Effects of depression and anxiety symptoms on cardiac mortality following myocardial infarction: A 2-year follow-up

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of symptoms of depression and anxiety on mortality in patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: A total of 806 consecutive patients were screened within 15 days after MI and 24-month survival rate was ascertained. The Beck Depression Inventory and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were completed by patients hospitalized for MI. We tested the BDI × STAI interaction effect in addition to the BDI and STAI main effects. RESULTS: At 24 months' follow up cardiac mortality was assessed in 540 of 806 eligible patients (67% response rate); 531 of 806 for whom baseline data were collected (65.9%) were depressed and 556 (69.0%) were anxious after their MI. Fifty-five (10.2%) patients died during the 24-month follow-up. Neither state of anxiety nor depression scores at entry was different between patients who died from those who survived. CONCLUSIONS: Symptoms of depression and anxiety did not predict cardiac mortality after MI, but despite the negative results regarding the impact of depression on cardiac outcome, it should be stressed that this does not mean that physicians and cardiologists could ignore depression and anxiety.