Mental stress affects ischemia prognosis in patients with CAD

(HealthDay)—Mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia (MSIMI) is associated with increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), according to research published in the July 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

JingKai Wei, B.M.S., of Emory University in Atlanta, and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies assessing the association between MSIMI and adverse outcomes in individuals with stable CAD. Five studies were selected, and a pooled sample of 555 patients with CAD (85 percent male) was included in the analysis. Outcomes of interest were CAD recurrence, CAD mortality, or total mortality.

The researchers found that MSIMI was associated with an increased risk of the combined end point of cardiac events or total mortality (relative risk, 2.24; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.59 to 3.15). No significant heterogeneity was found among the studies.

"The consistent association found in this meta-analysis and the promising results of two recent trials of MSIMI treatment suggest that this phenomenon may have important implications for patient care and secondary prevention," the authors write.