Atrial fibrillation: Not just an electric and single organ disease

Prevalence of demoralization and depressive symptoms in a sample of patients with supraventricular tachyarrhythmias: preliminary results

Introduction

Supraventricular tachyarrhythmias (ST) are the most common cardiac arrhythmias. Little is known about the potential impact of demoralization, which is considered as partially distinct from depression, on the course of ST. A correct assessment of both depressive symptoms and demoralization appears relevant for the treatment of these cardiac diseases, potentially influencing their course.

Methods

The sample consisted of 110 subjects affected by different ST, such as atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter (AFL) and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT). They all underwent a psychiatric evaluation; the Italian version of 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Italian version of Demoralization Scale (DS) were administered. Descriptive statistics, pairwise comparisons, and correlational analysis have been implemented.

Results

26 individuals (23.6%) presented high levels of demoralization. Of these, 20 (76.9%) had a diagnosis of AF and six patients (23.1%) received a diagnosis of other ST. No differences in demoralization levels resulted in regard of sex, cardiac diagnoses and anticoagulant therapies. Amongst people with high levels of demoralization, 13 (50%) received no formal psychiatric diagnosis, and 12 (46.2%) showed moderate/severe depressive symptoms. Demoralization levels and PHQ-9 scores showed a significant positive correlation in the whole sample (r=0.550, p<0.001).

Discussion

The present study found that in a sample of patients suffering from ST, high levels of demoralization were more frequent than clinically relevant depressive symptoms. We propose that demoralization and depression show partially distinguished psychopathological features, potentially associated with different therapeutic trajectories.

The effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on health-related quality of life, anxiety, depression, illness perception, and in atrial fibrillation patients: a six-month longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation (AF) often leads to an impaired Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in many patients. Moreover, psychological factors such as depression, anxiety, and illness perception have been found to significantly correlate with HRQoL. This study aims to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in enhancing HRQoL and mitigating psychological distress among AF patients.

METHODS

Employing a prospective, open design with pseudo-randomization, this study encompassed pre-tests, post-treatment evaluations, and a 6-month follow-up. A total of 102 consecutive patients diagnosed with paroxysmal AF were initially enrolled. Out of these, 90 were assigned to two groups; one to receive a 10-week CBT treatment specifically focusing on anxiety, and the other to receive standard care. Outcome measures were evaluated using tools such as the Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), University of Toronto Atrial Fibrillation Severity Scale (AFSS), and Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ). These assessments were conducted at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and at the 6-month follow-up mark. We explored the effectiveness of CBT using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE).

RESULTS

Our analysis revealed a notable improvement in the CBT group relative to the control group. All metrics displayed consistent improvement across a 6-month duration. At the 6-month checkpoint, the CBT group exhibited a more favorable SF-12 Mental Component Score (MCS) (50.261 ± 0.758 vs. 45.208 ± 0.887, p < 0.001), reduced GAD-7 (4.150 ± 0.347 vs. 8.022 ± 0.423, p < 0.001), BIPQ (34.700 ± 0.432 vs. 38.026 ± 0.318, p < 0.001), and AFSS (9.890 ± 0.217 vs. 10.928 ± 0.218, p = 0.001) scores when compared to the TAU group. Conversely, the SF-12 PCS (44.212 ± 0.816 vs. 47.489 ± 0.960, p = 0.139) and PHQ-9 scores (8.419 ± 0.713 vs. 10.409 ± 0.741, p = 0.794) manifested no significant difference between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that CBT is effective in improving HRQoL and reducing psychological distress among patients with AF at 6 month follow-up. This highlights the potential benefits of integrating CBT into the therapeutic regimen for AF patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Retrospectively registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05716828). The date of registration : 5 June 2023.

Psychiatric symptoms in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the leading causes of hospitalization and even death worldwide. Complex bidirectional associations have been suggested between psychiatric disorders and AF disease. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms in a cohort of Egyptian population presented with symptomatic non-valvular AF (NVAF) and to identify the high-risk subjects in need for professional psychiatric consultation. A total of 100 eligible symptomatic NVAF patients were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Each patient was subjected to: (1) cardiac evaluation included electrocardiogram, trans-esophageal echocardiography, and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA). (2) Psychiatric evaluation consisted of clinical psychiatric interviewing, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales (HADS), Mini–Mental State Examination (MMSE), type-D personality screening, and the short form-36 (SF-36) health survey for the assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Results

Forty-four percent of our enrolled AF patients had anxiety symptoms, 32% had depressive symptoms, 24% had mild cognitive impairment, and 32% had type-D personality. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that the left atrial dimension (LAD) and the age were the main significant predictors of MMSE, while the main predictors of HADS were SF-36 (physical functioning and general health) and the age. Neither psychiatric symptoms, nor type-D personality was a significant predictor for the evaluated cardiac parameters.

Conclusions

Mild cognitive impairment as well as depressive and anxiety symptoms is not uncommon associates with NVAF patients. Assessment of cognitive function and HRQoL is strongly advised for AF patients presented with enlarged LAD particularly among old adults.

Psychological aspects of atrial fibrillation: A systematic narrative review : Impact on incidence, cognition, prognosis, and symptom perception

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent arrhythmia in the general population. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the psychological aspects of AF, compiling evidence from epidemiological, clinical, and basic research sources.

RECENT FINDINGS

Findings from large-scale population-based and clinical longitudinal studies reveal an association between negative affectivity (e.g. depression) and the incidence and clinical prognosis of AF. Studies investigating the impact of work stress parameters on AF onset show conflicting results. Researchers have reported the impact of AF on cognitive decline and on health-related quality of life, and have highlighted the role of interoceptive cues in the development of AF symptom burden and gender differences in psychological covariates of AF. Among biological pathways linking psychosocial factors to AF, research on autonomic regulation has yielded the most evidence so far, showing that the onset of AF is associated with simultaneous sympatho-vagal activation rather than an increase in vagal or sympathetic drive alone. Thus, modulation of the autonomic nervous system is likely to be a promising strategy for protecting the myocardium from pro-arrhythmic autonomic influences. In total, the findings show that AF is embedded as a disease condition in a psycho-societal context and is not an isolated medical problem per se. A broader perspective than a focus on the electrophysiology alone is urgently needed.