Impaired endothelial function has been shown to limit exercise in coronary artery disease (CAD) p... more Impaired endothelial function has been shown to limit exercise in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients and has been implicated in myocardial ischemia. However, the association of endothelial function and ischemia on peak exercise oxygen consumption (VO(2)) has not been previously reported. A total of 116 CAD patients underwent standard exercise stress testing, during which VO(2) was measured. On a separate day, endothelial-dependent and -independent function were assessed by ultrasound using flow-mediated arterial vasodilation (FMD) and sublingual glyceryl trinitrate administration (GTNMD) of the brachial artery. Patients with exercise-induced myocardial ischemia had lower FMD than nonischemic patients (3.64 ± 0.57 versus 4.98 ± 0.36, P = .050), but there was no difference in GTNMD (14.11 ± 0.99 versus 15.47 ± 0.63, P = .249). Analyses revealed that both FMD (P = .006) and GTNMD (P = .019) were related to peak VO(2). However, neither the presence of ischemia (P = .860) nor the int...
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is common among people with asthma, but its association with a... more Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is common among people with asthma, but its association with asthma morbidity remains unexplored. This study examined cross-sectional associations between GAD and asthma control, quality of life, and self-efficacy. Seven hundred ninety-four adults with confirmed asthma were recruited from the outpatient clinic of a university hospital. Patients underwent a sociodemographic and medical history interview (to assess health service use and medications), followed by a brief psychiatric interview (Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders) to assess GAD. Patients completed questionnaires assessing asthma control, quality of life, and asthma self-efficacy and underwent spirometry. General linear models and logistic regression were used to assess associations between GAD and asthma morbidity measures, adjusting for covariates. GAD affected 4% of the sample. The analyses revealed significant associations between GAD and worse overall asthma control (β = 0.62, standard error [SE] = 0.18, p < .001), increased bronchodilator use (β = 10.60, SE = 2.64, p < .001), worse asthma quality of life (β = -0.91, SE = 0.23, p < .001), and worse asthma self-efficacy (β = -59.56, SE = 13.59, p < .001) after the adjustment for covariates. Separate sensitivity analyses including major depressive disorder and asthma self-efficacy as additional covariates rendered many of these associations nonsignificant. There were no associations between GAD and emergency visits or hospitalizations. GAD is associated with worse asthma morbidity independent of age, sex, smoking, and asthma severity; however, comorbid major depressive disorder and low asthma self-efficacy may account for many of these associations. Only breathlessness and the frequency of bronchodilator use were uniquely associated with GAD. Future research should examine whether treatment of GAD can affect asthma outcomes.
Episodes of psychological and physical stress may elicit thrombotic cardiac events, such as myoca... more Episodes of psychological and physical stress may elicit thrombotic cardiac events, such as myocardial infarction. These events are triggered when there are concurrent hemodynamic, hemostatic, and endothelial abnormalities. Hemodynamic, hemostatic, and endothelial reactions of 72 (15 women, 57 men) coronary artery disease patients to psychological and physical stress were examined. Blood pressure, electrocardiography, and impedance cardiography were recorded during rest, mental arithmetic, and exercise. Blood was collected, via catheter, at rest and after each task. Mental arithmetic elicited increases in blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, and cardiac contractility, but no consistent changes in hemostatic and endothelial markers. In contrast, exercise, in addition to increasing blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, cardiac contractility, and lowering peripheral resistance, elicited increases in plasma viscosity, hematocrit, platelets, and tissue plasminogen activator together with a decrease in plasminogen activator inhibitor. This pattern of hemodynamic, hemostatic, and endothelial reactions suggests that acute psychological and physical stress influence the thrombotic system differently in these high risk patients. Future research is needed to investigate how these stress responses are prospectively related to acute cardiac events.
Despite the availability of effective therapies, research indicates that more than 50% of asthmat... more Despite the availability of effective therapies, research indicates that more than 50% of asthmatics are poorly controlled. Poor asthma control has been linked to behavioral (i.e., cigarette smoking) and psychological factors (i.e., anxiety and depression). However, little is known about the individual versus combined impact of cigarette smoking and anxiety or mood disorders in adult asthmatics on asthma control. A total of 796 confirmed adult asthma patients completed a sociodemographic and medical history interview and underwent a psychiatric interview using the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders. Asthma control was evaluated using the Asthma Control Questionnaire. After adjusting for age, sex, and dose of inhaled corticosteroids, general linear model analyses indicated a significant main effect of current smoking on asthma control (B [SE] = 0.156 [0.059], p = .008) and main effects of anxiety disorders (B [SE] = 0.408 [0.095], p = < .001) and mood disorders (B [SE] = 0.448 [0.098], p = < .001) on asthma control. Pack-years were not associated with asthma control, and there were no interaction effects of current smoking or pack-years with either anxiety or mood disorders on asthma control. Findings suggest that current smoking, having an anxiety disorder, and having a mood disorder are independently associated with poorer asthma control but that cumulative smoking history (i.e., pack-years) was not associated with worse asthma control. These results indicate that smoking cessation may have a positive impact on asthma control levels in spite of past smoking intensity and highlight the importance of interventions that target anxiety and mood disorders in adult asthmatics.
Impaired endothelial function has been shown to limit exercise in coronary artery disease (CAD) p... more Impaired endothelial function has been shown to limit exercise in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients and has been implicated in myocardial ischemia. However, the association of endothelial function and ischemia on peak exercise oxygen consumption (VO(2)) has not been previously reported. A total of 116 CAD patients underwent standard exercise stress testing, during which VO(2) was measured. On a separate day, endothelial-dependent and -independent function were assessed by ultrasound using flow-mediated arterial vasodilation (FMD) and sublingual glyceryl trinitrate administration (GTNMD) of the brachial artery. Patients with exercise-induced myocardial ischemia had lower FMD than nonischemic patients (3.64 ± 0.57 versus 4.98 ± 0.36, P = .050), but there was no difference in GTNMD (14.11 ± 0.99 versus 15.47 ± 0.63, P = .249). Analyses revealed that both FMD (P = .006) and GTNMD (P = .019) were related to peak VO(2). However, neither the presence of ischemia (P = .860) nor the int...
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is common among people with asthma, but its association with a... more Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is common among people with asthma, but its association with asthma morbidity remains unexplored. This study examined cross-sectional associations between GAD and asthma control, quality of life, and self-efficacy. Seven hundred ninety-four adults with confirmed asthma were recruited from the outpatient clinic of a university hospital. Patients underwent a sociodemographic and medical history interview (to assess health service use and medications), followed by a brief psychiatric interview (Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders) to assess GAD. Patients completed questionnaires assessing asthma control, quality of life, and asthma self-efficacy and underwent spirometry. General linear models and logistic regression were used to assess associations between GAD and asthma morbidity measures, adjusting for covariates. GAD affected 4% of the sample. The analyses revealed significant associations between GAD and worse overall asthma control (β = 0.62, standard error [SE] = 0.18, p < .001), increased bronchodilator use (β = 10.60, SE = 2.64, p < .001), worse asthma quality of life (β = -0.91, SE = 0.23, p < .001), and worse asthma self-efficacy (β = -59.56, SE = 13.59, p < .001) after the adjustment for covariates. Separate sensitivity analyses including major depressive disorder and asthma self-efficacy as additional covariates rendered many of these associations nonsignificant. There were no associations between GAD and emergency visits or hospitalizations. GAD is associated with worse asthma morbidity independent of age, sex, smoking, and asthma severity; however, comorbid major depressive disorder and low asthma self-efficacy may account for many of these associations. Only breathlessness and the frequency of bronchodilator use were uniquely associated with GAD. Future research should examine whether treatment of GAD can affect asthma outcomes.
Episodes of psychological and physical stress may elicit thrombotic cardiac events, such as myoca... more Episodes of psychological and physical stress may elicit thrombotic cardiac events, such as myocardial infarction. These events are triggered when there are concurrent hemodynamic, hemostatic, and endothelial abnormalities. Hemodynamic, hemostatic, and endothelial reactions of 72 (15 women, 57 men) coronary artery disease patients to psychological and physical stress were examined. Blood pressure, electrocardiography, and impedance cardiography were recorded during rest, mental arithmetic, and exercise. Blood was collected, via catheter, at rest and after each task. Mental arithmetic elicited increases in blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, and cardiac contractility, but no consistent changes in hemostatic and endothelial markers. In contrast, exercise, in addition to increasing blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, cardiac contractility, and lowering peripheral resistance, elicited increases in plasma viscosity, hematocrit, platelets, and tissue plasminogen activator together with a decrease in plasminogen activator inhibitor. This pattern of hemodynamic, hemostatic, and endothelial reactions suggests that acute psychological and physical stress influence the thrombotic system differently in these high risk patients. Future research is needed to investigate how these stress responses are prospectively related to acute cardiac events.
Despite the availability of effective therapies, research indicates that more than 50% of asthmat... more Despite the availability of effective therapies, research indicates that more than 50% of asthmatics are poorly controlled. Poor asthma control has been linked to behavioral (i.e., cigarette smoking) and psychological factors (i.e., anxiety and depression). However, little is known about the individual versus combined impact of cigarette smoking and anxiety or mood disorders in adult asthmatics on asthma control. A total of 796 confirmed adult asthma patients completed a sociodemographic and medical history interview and underwent a psychiatric interview using the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders. Asthma control was evaluated using the Asthma Control Questionnaire. After adjusting for age, sex, and dose of inhaled corticosteroids, general linear model analyses indicated a significant main effect of current smoking on asthma control (B [SE] = 0.156 [0.059], p = .008) and main effects of anxiety disorders (B [SE] = 0.408 [0.095], p = < .001) and mood disorders (B [SE] = 0.448 [0.098], p = < .001) on asthma control. Pack-years were not associated with asthma control, and there were no interaction effects of current smoking or pack-years with either anxiety or mood disorders on asthma control. Findings suggest that current smoking, having an anxiety disorder, and having a mood disorder are independently associated with poorer asthma control but that cumulative smoking history (i.e., pack-years) was not associated with worse asthma control. These results indicate that smoking cessation may have a positive impact on asthma control levels in spite of past smoking intensity and highlight the importance of interventions that target anxiety and mood disorders in adult asthmatics.
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Papers by A. Plourde