CARDIAC DISEASE AND NONORGANIC CHEST PAIN - FACTORS LEADING TO DISABILITY

Research has shown that many chest pain patients, without coronary art ery disease, may suffer from panic disorder, hypochondriasis, depressi on, and/or multiple phobias. Some patients with coronary artery diseas e may also suffer from these disorders and are often unable to return to previous activity. In spite of good prognosis for longevity and acc eptable exercise test results, a large proportion of these patients co ntinue to be disabled by chest pain and/or chronic cardiac fears and d emand constant medical attention. This study examined the psychiatric and behavioral symptomatology that differentiated four groups of patie nts experiencing chest pain: the able (active/working patient) with an d without coronary artery disease, as determined by exercise thallium- 201 studies, and the disabled (inactive/nonworking patient) with and w ithout coronary artery disease. The results of the study indicated tha t the inactive patients, both with and without heart disease, suffered from a host of debilitating psychiatric conditions.