A link between increased peripheral chemosensitivity and impaired autonomic control, including baroreflex inhibition, is demonstrated. The clinical importance of this phenomenon warrants further investigation.

Sense of coherence as an independent predictor of health-related quality of life among coronary heart disease patients Silarova, Barbora; Nagyova, Iveta; Rosenberger, Jaroslav; Studencan, Martin; Ondusova, Daniela; Reijneveld, Sijmen A.; van Dijk, Jitse P. Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to determine whether sense of coherence (SOC) at baseline predicts health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at 12-28-month follow-up among patients with coronary heart disease when controlled for sociodemographic and medical variables. Methods A total of 179 consecutive patients (58.28 ± 6.52 years, 16.8% women) scheduled for coronary angiography (CAG) were interviewed before CAG and 12-28 months after. SOC was measured with the 13-item Orientation to Life Questionnaire. HRQoL was measured using the Short Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36), from which the mental and physical component summaries (MCS, PCS) were calculated. The relationship between SOC and HRQoL was examined using regression analyses.Results SOC proved to be a significant predictor of the MCS-score (B = 0.29; 95% CI = 0.17-0.41) and PCSscore (B = 0.18; 95% CI = 0.06-0.31) when not adjusted for possible confounding sociodemographic and medical variables. After adjustment for sociodemographic and medical variables, SOC remained a predictor of the MCSscore (B = 0.26; 95% CI = 0.14-0.39). SOC also remained a predictor of the PCS-score when controlled for gender, age and family income; however, the association disappeared after adjustment for functional status (B = 0.07; 95% CI = -0.05 to 0.19). Conclusions SOC is a predictor of mental and physical HRQoL at 12-28-month follow-up, crude and also after adjustment. Patients undergoing CAG with low SOC thus deserve particular attention in regard to the maintenance and improvement of their HRQoL.

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Coronary heart disease patients with a low SOC before treatment are less likely to improve health behaviours after cardiac treatment and should thus get additional attention in health promotion.