Imminent myocardial infarction: a psychological study.
Unstable angina pectoris and feelings of fatigue and general malaise are often mentioned as premonitory symptoms of myocardial infarction. From a psychological point of view these feelings of fatigue and malaise reflect a syndrome of vital exhaustion and depression (VED). A questionnaire which measures this syndrome was given to 3,571 males who participated in a voluntary health check up. It was found that the prevalence of "imminent myocardial infarction," defined as unstable angina pectoris plus electrocardiographic signs of ischaemia, was more than four times higher among exhausted and depressive persons, than among persons not so affected.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000150:complications; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications; D005221:Fatigue / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000523:psychology*; D012306:Risk; D013577:Syndrome; D014434:Type A Personality