Psychiatric morbidity and the presence and absence of angiographic coronary disease in patients with chest pain

OBJECTIVE: To assess psychiatric morbidity in coronary angiogram patients. METHOD: A psychiatric assessment of 200 consecutive chest-pain patients was performed the day before coronary angiography in a double-blind study design. The sample included 132 men (mean age 57.2 years, SD 9.5) and 68 women (mean age 59.8 years, SD 8.9). A Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R was used to obtain psychiatric diagnosis. The 21-item Beck Depression Inventory, the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale and a four-item Life Satisfaction Scale were used to assess mental symptoms. A coronary angiography with obstruction of a coronary artery by more than 50% was considered to indicate angiographic coronary disease. RESULTS: Mental disorders were found in 28% (95% CI 14-41) of the patients with normal angiographic findings (n=47) and in 24% (95% CI 17 - 30) of the patients with angiographic coronary disease (n=153). Furthermore, no difference was found between these two groups in other rating scales assessing mental symptoms even when adjusted for the New York Heart Association class, duration of chest-pain symptoms or exercise capacity. CONCLUSION: Psychiatric morbidity may not be associated with angiographic findings in patients with chest pain.