[Psychosomatic determinants of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty].

Abstract

Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) has become one of the standard procedures in the therapy of coronary heart disease. One of the main issues is the 20-40% incidence of restenosis of the dilated vessel. Up to now, the subject of predictors of restenosis has not yet been sufficiently clarified. Our study is concerned with two questions; first, is it possible to prove any connections between the amount of restenosis and psychosocial factors? Second, is it possible to distinguish groups of patients with and without subsequent restenosis on the basis of psychosocial variables, even before the diagnostic coronary angiography? 138 (91m, 47f) patients were assessed before the diagnostic coronarangiography, the 25 PTCA-patients (20m, 5f) were furthermore reassessed three months after the PTCA (the time of the angiographic control). Somatic and social data were collected and a semistandardised interview was conducted. In addition, coping, stress-coping control over disease and health and life-contentment were determined. Highly significant correlations was found between the amount of restenosis and resignative stress-coping, self-pity, depressive coping and flight-tendency. With the help of stress-coping-subtests (which were given at the first examination) it was possible to separate the group of patients with restenosis from the group without it.