title: Psychiatric Characteristics of the Cardiac Outpatients with Chest Pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A cardiologist's evaluation of psychiatric symptoms in patients with chest pain is rare. This study aimed to determine the psychiatric characteristics of patients with and without coronary artery disease (CAD) and explore their relationship with the intensity of chest pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Out of 139 consecutive patients referred to the cardiology outpatient department, 31 with atypical chest pain (heartburn, acid regurgitation, dyspnea, and palpitation) were excluded and 108 were enrolled for the present study. The enrolled patients underwent complete numerical rating scale of chest pain and the symptom checklist for minor psychiatric disorders at the time of first outpatient visit. The non-CAD group consisted of patients with a normal stress test, coronary computed tomography angiogram, or coronary angiogram, and the CAD group included those with an abnormal coronary angiogram.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen patients (17.6%) were diagnosed with CAD. No differences in the psychiatric characteristics were observed between the groups. "Feeling tense", "self-reproach", and "trouble falling asleep" were more frequently observed in the non-CAD (p=0.007; p=0.046; p=0.044) group. In a multiple linear regression analysis with a stepwise selection, somatization without chest pain in the non-CAD group and hypochondriasis in the CAD group were linearly associated with the intensity of chest pain (β=0.108, R(2)=0.092, p=0.004; β= -0.525, R(2)=0.290, p=0.010).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No differences in psychiatric characteristics were observed between the groups. The intensity of chest pain was linearly associated with somatization without chest pain in the non-CAD group and inversely linearly associated with hypochondriasis in the CAD group.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Jeju National University, Jeju, Korea.
authors.forename: Jea-Geun
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Jeju National University, Jeju, Korea.
authors.forename: Joon Hyouk
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Jeju National University, Jeju, Korea.
authors.forename: Song-Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Jeju National University, Jeju, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki-Seok
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Jeju National University, Jeju, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Jae
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Joo
keywords: Chest pain; Coronary disease; Psychology