Chinese patients’ clinical and psychosocial outcomes in the 6 months following percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND: In China, there has been a precipitous increase in the number of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) conducted. We sought to characterize the clinical and psychosocial trajectory of PCI patients from the time of procedure through 6 months post, and correlates of adverse cardiovascular events (ACEs). METHODS: In this prospective, observational study, patients from 2 hospitals in Shanghai, China were assessed. At follow-up visits at 1, 3 and 6 months post-PCI, clinical indicators were again extracted from patients’ clinical records, including ACEs, and they completed validated surveys assessing self-management, as well as psychosocial indicators (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; quality of life [QoL]: SF-12, Seattle Angina Questionnaire [SAQ]). Repeated measures analysis of variance, adjusted for Barthel index and PCI indication, was used to assess change over time in risk factors and psychosocial indicators. Logistic regression was used to explore correlates of ACEs. RESULTS: 610 participants (mean age = 63.3; n = 150, 18.2% female) were recruited, of which 491 (80.5%) were retained at 6 months. 82 (16.7%) had an ACE at any time point, including most commonly angina and stroke (only 1 death). Clinical indicators such as blood pressure (p < 0.031 for both), symptom burden (p < .01 on all subscales) and QoL (p < 0.001 for both, but started quite low) improved over 6 months. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were above threshold, and the latter worsened over time (p < 0.001). With adjustment for age and indication, patients with any ACEs had higher sleep latency (odds ratio [OR] = 1.48; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03–2.10]), and depressive symptoms (OR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.02–1.41), but lower anxiety (OR = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.67–0.93) compared to those without. CONCLUSION: Centers may wish to re-visit patient selection criteria and processes for PCI, as well as implement mental health screening and treatment protocols, as can be achieved through cardiac rehabilitation, given how hazardous psychosocial distress is in this population.