Exploring the Relationship of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms and Impulsiveness with the Quality of Life of Older Patients with Cardiovascular Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

Giada Pietrabissa (), Gloria Marchesi, Luca Alessandro Gondoni and Gianluca Castelnuovo
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Giada Pietrabissa: Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, 20123 Milan, Italy
Gloria Marchesi: Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, 20123 Milan, Italy
Luca Alessandro Gondoni: Division of Cardiological Rehabilitation, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Ospedale San Giuseppe, 28824 Oggebbio, Italy
Gianluca Castelnuovo: Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, 20123 Milan, Italy

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 5, 1-13

Abstract: Background: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship of selected clinical (i.e., body mass index, BMI) and psychological factors (i.e., anxiety, depression, and impulsiveness) with the quality of life (QoL) of elderly patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a single clinical center in Italy. Methods: A total of 238 patients of older age (≥65 years) with CVD who voluntarily attended a single clinical center for weight loss and cardiac rehabilitation were sequentially recruited and tested upon admission to the hospital based on pre-established inclusion criteria. Results: The findings indicated that anxiety and depressive symptoms were moderately associated with lower QoL. Additionally, there were noteworthy but minor negative connections between impulsivity and QoL. Furthermore, BMI was inversely associated with the perceived QoL of the participants, and when incorporated into the regression analysis, BMI alone significantly accounted for 11.8% of the variability in QoL. This percentage increased to 18.4% with the inclusion of impulsiveness in the model and further to 34.3% with the addition of anxiety and depressive symptoms. However, after introducing anxiety and depression, the association between impulsivity and QoL ceased to be statistically significant. Conclusions: Integrating the routine assessment and treatment of psychological factors into the care of older patients with CVD is important for optimizing their overall health outcomes and improving their QoL.

Keywords: anxiety; cardiovascular disease; depression; elderly; impulsiveness; quality of life (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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