The Comparison of Negative and Positive Psychological Factors in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease with and without Metabolic Syndrome

Aim and The purpose of this study was to compare positive and negative psychological states between the two groups of patients with coronary heart disease with and without metabolic syndrome, and to investigate the relationship between these psychological factors and the risk of metabolic syndrome.
Methods and Materials: In this comparative study, the study population consisted of all patients with middle-aged coronary artery disease (35-60 years old) who were enrolled at the Rehabilitation Center of the Cardiology Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, from 2012 to 2016. Totally, 61 patients were selected through purposive sampling in September, 2016. They participated in the research by completing some questionnaires including Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ), Adult Hope Scale (AHS), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), and performing physiological assessments related to metabolic syndrome. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), Mann-Whitney, and Pearson correlation tests.
Findings: There were significant differences between the two groups of patients with coronary heart disease with and without metabolic syndrome in terms of depression, optimism, hope, and happiness. Moreover, depression, optimism, hope, and happiness had significant relationship with the risk of metabolic syndrome.
The research findings support the link between psychological variables and metabolic syndrome.