Posttraumatic stress disorder and health-related quality of life in patients with coronary heart disease: findings from the Heart and Soul Study.
BACKGROUND
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is increasingly recognized as a cause of substantial disability. In addition to its tremendous mental health burden, PTSD has been associated with worse physical health status and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether PTSD is associated with cardiovascular health status in patients with heart disease and whether this association is independent of cardiac function.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
The Heart and Soul Study, a prospective cohort study of psychological factors and health outcomes in adults with stable cardiovascular disease.


METHODS
One thousand twenty-two men and women with coronary heart disease.


METHODS
Posttraumatic stress disorder was assessed using the Computerized Diagnostic Interview Schedule for DSM-IV. Cardiac function was measured using left ventricular ejection fraction, treadmill exercise capacity, and inducible ischemia on stress echocardiography. Disease-specific health status was assessed using the symptom burden, physical limitation, and quality of life subscales of the Seattle Angina Questionnaire. We used ordinal logistic regression to evaluate the association of PTSD with health status, adjusted for objective measures of cardiac function.


RESULTS
Of the 1022 participants, 95 (9%) had current PTSD. Participants with current PTSD were more likely to report at least mild symptom burden (57% vs 36%), mild physical limitation (59% vs 44%), and mildly diminished quality of life (62% vs 35%) (all P < or = .001). When adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors and objective measures of cardiac function, PTSD remained independently associated with greater symptom burden (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.9; P = .004); greater physical limitation (odds ratio, 2.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-3.6; P = .001); and worse quality of life (odds ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.6-3.9; P < .001). Results were similar after excluding participants with depression.


CONCLUSIONS
Among patients with heart disease, PTSD is more strongly associated with patient-reported cardiovascular health status than objective measures of cardiac function. Future studies should explore whether assessing and treating PTSD symptoms can improve function and quality of life in patients with heart disease.
Cohen
Beth E
BE
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, General Internal Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA. beth.cohen@ucsf.edu
Marmar
Charles R
CR
Neylan
Thomas C
TC
Schiller
Nelson B
NB
Ali
Sadia
S
Whooley
Mary A
MA
D000368:Aged; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires