Depression and Social Support in Patients with Exercise - Induced Myocardial Ischemia

Nino Chagiashvili, Zurab Pagava, Guram Mamaladze, 
George Kavtaradze, Tamar Sukhiashvili, Irma Maisuradze

Aim: The evaluation of the importance of depression and social support in patients with exercise - induced myocardial ischemia. Methods and results: We investigated 60 patients, who underwent symptom-limited exercise treadmill ECG testing. The Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) and Depression Questionnaire (The Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale) were filled by the patients with positive ischemic ECG criteria. 13 patients screened high level of depression. Depressed patients had more physical limitation, more frequent angina, less satisfaction with treatment for coronary artery disease, lower perceived quality of life, than nondepressed patients. 6 unemployed patients with low social support had the high level of depression (ESP score of 16 or higher). Conclusion: The study emphasizes the importance of social and life stressors in development of depression in patients with cardiac disease.

Keywords:   quality of life, social support, physical limitation, angina, silent ischemia, depression