Relationship between echocardiographic indicators, coronary artery lesions, and anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) frequently experience anxiety due to symptoms such as chest pain and tightness. However, it remains unclear whether changes in echocardiographic findings, a routine component of CHD evaluation, are associated with anxiety levels in these patients.

AIM

To investigate the relationship between echocardiographic indicators, coronary artery lesions, and anxiety in patients with CHD.

METHODS

Data from 110 patients with stable CHD were retrospectively collected. Based on coronary angiography findings and Gensini scores used to assess the severity of coronary artery lesions, patients were classified into mild (38 cases), moderate (42 cases), and severe (30 cases) groups. Anxiety levels were assessed using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) at admission, and patients were categorized into no anxiety (16 cases), mild anxiety (31 cases), moderate anxiety (41 cases), and severe anxiety (22 cases) groups. The Cochran-Armitage trend test, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were applied to examine the relationships among echocardiographic indicators, coronary artery disease severity, and anxiety in patients with CHD.

RESULTS

Trend analysis revealed significant linear relationships between the severity of coronary artery lesions, anxiety levels, and echocardiographic parameters in patients with CHD. As the severity of coronary artery lesions and anxiety increased, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) showed an upward trend (P < 0.05), whereas left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) exhibited a downward trend (P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the Gensini score was positively correlated with LVEDD, LVESV, and LVEDV (r = 0.352, r = 0.386, and r = 0.376, respectively; P < 0.05) and negatively correlated with LVEF (r = -0.442; P < 0.05). Similarly, the SAS score was positively correlated with LVEDD, LVESV, and LVEDV (r = 0.279, r = 0.248, r = 0.216, respectively; P < 0.05) and negatively correlated with LVEF (r = -0.218; P < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for confounding factors, both higher Gensini and SAS scores remained independent risk factors for increased LVEDD, LVESV, and LVEDV and for decreased LVEF in patients with CHD (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Echocardiographic indicators are significantly correlated with both coronary artery lesions and anxiety in patients with CHD. In clinical practice, anxiety assessment and management should be integrated into comprehensive CHD treatment to more effectively improve cardiac function, alleviate symptoms, and improve overall prognosis.

Keywords: Echocardiography; Coronary heart disease; Coronary artery lesion; Anxiety; Correlation

Core Tip: Patients with coronary heart disease often experience pronounced anxiety due to symptoms such as chest tightness and pain. This study demonstrated that echocardiographic indicators are correlated not only with the severity of coronary artery disease but also with patients’ anxiety levels. Integrating anxiety assessment into coronary heart disease management may help improve cardiac function and alleviate symptoms more effectively.