Anergia prevalent in acute coronary syndrome patients

October 21, 2012 in Cardiology

(HealthDay)—Anergia, or the lack of energy, is highly prevalent in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), and correlates independently with several factors, including bodily pain and exercise participation, according to a study published in the Nov. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

Jonathan A. Shaffer, Ph.D., of Columbia University in New York City, and colleagues conducted a study involving 472 hospitalized patients with ACS enrolled in a prospective cohort study to evaluate the prevalence and clinical and demographic characteristics of anergia.

At least one instance of anergia was reported by 79.9 percent of patients, and 32 percent of patients met the established criteria for anergia. The researchers found that anergia correlated independently with being a woman, being white versus black, having bodily pain, participating in exercise, having current depressive disorder, and having elevated values on the Charlson Comorbidity Index, in a multivariable model.

"In conclusion, anergia is a highly prevalent syndrome in patients with ACS," the authors write. "It is distinct from depression and is associated with modifiable clinical factors such as participation in exercise and bodily pain that may be appropriate targets for intervention."

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Journal reference: American Journal of Cardiology