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Contact: Ann-Marie White
Heart Rhythm Society
(202) 464-3476
awhite@hrsonline.org

New research reveals that the link between an individual’s state of mind and physical health may be stronger than many expect. Researchers have found a direct connection between a recovering patient’s psychosocial state and survival rate following an arrhythmic event. The study, led by Dr. Jonathan Steinberg of St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York, is published in the March 2008 edition of the HeartRhythm Journal, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society. While many studies have linked state of mind to the likelihood of a cardiac event occurring, this is the first study to show how a patient’s negative state of mind can have a direct impact on long-term survival after a cardiac event occurs.

An individual’s physical health, psychological stress, social support and own sense of well-being, are all factors that can play a significant role in the likelihood of a fatal event. In addition, the study found that in high-risk cardiac patients, psychosocial profiles can also independently predict death, separately from a physical assessment.

“In the days, months and years after a patient has experienced an arrhythmic event, the psychosocial state of that individual may have an impact on the longevity of life or likelihood of life-threatening arrhythmias,” states Jonathan S. Steinberg, MD, FACC, lead author, Chief of the Division of Cardiology, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York. “Our research shows that assessing a patient’s mental well-being, and seeking counseling or therapy when needed, can be a critical factor in a successful recovery.”

The new study examined the results of self-reported quality of life (QoL) questionnaires from Antiarrhythmics Versus Implantable Defibrillators (AVID) trial patients who had experienced cardiac arrest or life-threatening ventricular tachycardia (VT). Upon measuring the survival of patients three years after having an arrhythmic event, the study revealed a 40 percent death rate among the one half of patients with a poor psychosocial condition versus a 20 percent death rate among the other half of patients with a good, or better, psychosocial condition.

In the AVID trial, several QoL instruments were used, including SF-36 Subscales (Physical and Mental Component Summaries), Patient Concerns Checklist and Quality of Life Index-Cardiac. The AVID trial enrolled 1,016 patients, 740 of whom had baseline data available from at least one of the QoL instruments. For more information about the study, please visit www.heartrhythmjournal.org.

About HeartRhythm Journal
HeartRhythm provides rapid publication of the most important science developments in the field of arrhythmias and cardiovascular electrophysiology (EP). As the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, HeartRhythm publishes both basic and clinical subject matter of scientific excellence devoted to the EP of the heart and blood vessels, as well as therapy. The journal is the only EP publication serving the entire electrophysiology community from basic to clinical academic researchers, private practitioners, technicians, industry and trainees. HeartRhythm has an Impact Factor of 3.777 and is ranked ninth out of 72 cardiovascular medicine journals by the Institute for Scientific Information. Additionally, the journal ranks sixth in the Immediacy Index among cardiology publications. It is also the official publication of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Society.