The Role of Psychological Well-Being Indicators in Predicting Metabolic Risk Factors in the patients with Chronic Coronary Heart Disease

Today, the identification of factors contributing to the link between psychological factors and cardiovascular outcomes is a subject of interest to many researchers. The aim of the this study was to investigate the role of psychological well-being indicators in metabolic risk factors in the patients with chronic coronary artery disease. Sixty one patients (47 males and 14 females) were selected through purposeful sampling, and were asked to complete questionnaires including: Life Orientation Test- Revised (LOT- R), Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ), Adult Hope Scale (AHS), Dinner Life Satisfaction Scale (SWLS), and Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). Physiological evaluations were systolic and diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and HDL / LDL ratios. The data analyzed by Pearson correlation test and stepwise regression. The results of stepwise regression analysis showed that optimism was able to predict 7% significant changes in systolic blood pressure, 11% for BMI and 10% for waist circumference. While 7% significant changes in triglyceride levels was predicted by life satisfaction; and finaly 7% significant changes in fasting blood glucose, 8% for total cholesterol, 14% for LDL cholesterol and 12% for LDL / HDL were predicted by hope. The findings indicated that, some psychological well-being indicators, including optimism, hope and life satisfaction, have a role in reducing metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular health.