Alexithymia, depression and heart rate in candidates for cardiac surgery

Int J Cardiol. 2008 Jun 6;126(3):448-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2007.02.054. Epub 2007 May 2.

Abstract

Effects of psychological traits on heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) were evaluated in patients awaiting cardiac surgery. Alexithymics demonstrated slowed HR, whereas high cognitive performance was associated with elevated HR in 2-3 days before surgery. Depression negatively correlated with HRV low frequency power. These data are consistent with previous findings of diverse moderate stress effects on HR regulation in cardiologic patients and healthy subjects in accordance to differences in psychological characteristics.

Publication types

  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Affective Symptoms / complications
  • Affective Symptoms / diagnosis*
  • Aged
  • Anxiety / complications
  • Anxiety / diagnosis
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / epidemiology*
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / psychology
  • Cardiac Surgical Procedures / methods
  • Cardiac Surgical Procedures / mortality*
  • Cognition Disorders / complications
  • Cognition Disorders / diagnosis
  • Cohort Studies
  • Coronary Disease / psychology
  • Coronary Disease / surgery
  • Depressive Disorder / complications
  • Depressive Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Female
  • Heart Rate / physiology
  • Heart Valve Diseases / psychology
  • Heart Valve Diseases / surgery
  • Humans
  • Linear Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Postoperative Complications / mortality*
  • Postoperative Complications / psychology
  • Preoperative Care
  • Probability
  • Reference Values
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Survival Analysis