Andreas Fotopoulos1, Petros Petrikis2, Ioannis Iakovou3, Athanasios Papadopoulos4, Konstantinos Sakelariou5, Evangelia Gkika5, Lampros Lakkas6, Christos Touzios5, Konstantinos Pappas6, Antonios Klaroudas5, Argyrios Doumas3, Chrissa Sioka5. 1. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical School, University Hospital of Ioannina, Greece, Ioannina, Greece. professor.fotopoulos@yahoo.com. 2. Department of Psychiatry,Medical School, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. 3. 2nd Nuclear Medicine Laboratory, AHEPA University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. 4. Department of Medical Physics, University Hospital of Ioannina, Greece. 5. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical School, University Hospital of Ioannina, Greece, Ioannina, Greece. 6. Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Greece.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients subjected to myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with 99mTc tetrofosmin stress-rest single-photon emission computer tomography (SPECT), and their impact on their cardiological events or disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients referred to the Nuclear Medicine Department for 99mTc tetrofosmin myocardial MPI-SPECT were asked to fulfill the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZDS) and Hamilton anxiety questionnaire (HAQ). Among 213 patients who completed the ZDS and HAQ, 80 patients (59 males and 21 females) were selected for this study because they had no known psychological disease, other disease that could influence psychological status, or use of narcotic drugs. Collected data from MPI and psychological status were subsequently analyzed. RESULTS: Among all 80 patients, 52 patients (65%) had abnormal MPI of whom 28/52 (53.8%) exhibited either depression, anxiety or both, and 28 (35%) patients had normal MPI of whom 10/28 (35.7%) had abnormal psychological status. The higher number of patients with abnormal psychological status in association with abnormal MPI was noted predominantly in patients with previously established coronary artery disease. A correlation was also noted between obesity, cardiac heredity and depression or anxiety in patients with abnormal MPI. CONCLUSIONS: Patients that exhibit depression, anxiety, or both, have high rates of myocardial ischemia, and thus are at risk for subsequent cardiological events.
BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients subjected to myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with 99mTc tetrofosmin stress-rest single-photon emission computer tomography (SPECT), and their impact on their cardiological events or disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients referred to the Nuclear Medicine Department for 99mTc tetrofosmin myocardial MPI-SPECT were asked to fulfill the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZDS) and Hamilton anxiety questionnaire (HAQ). Among 213 patients who completed the ZDS and HAQ, 80 patients (59 males and 21 females) were selected for this study because they had no known psychological disease, other disease that could influence psychological status, or use of narcotic drugs. Collected data from MPI and psychological status were subsequently analyzed. RESULTS: Among all 80 patients, 52 patients (65%) had abnormal MPI of whom 28/52 (53.8%) exhibited either depression, anxiety or both, and 28 (35%) patients had normal MPI of whom 10/28 (35.7%) had abnormal psychological status. The higher number of patients with abnormal psychological status in association with abnormal MPI was noted predominantly in patients with previously established coronary artery disease. A correlation was also noted between obesity, cardiac heredity and depression or anxiety in patients with abnormal MPI. CONCLUSIONS: Patients that exhibit depression, anxiety, or both, have high rates of myocardial ischemia, and thus are at risk for subsequent cardiological events.