AUTHOR=Princip Mary , Scholz Marco , Meister-Langraf Rebecca E. , Barth Jürgen , Schnyder Ulrich , Znoj Hansjörg , Schmid Jean-Paul , Thayer Julian F. , von Känel Roland 

TITLE=Can Illness Perceptions Predict Lower Heart Rate Variability following Acute Myocardial Infarction?

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01801

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01801

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objective:</bold> Decreased heart rate variability (HRV) has been reported to be a predictor of mortality after myocardial infarction (MI). Patients' beliefs and perceptions concerning their illness may play a role in decreased HRV. This study investigated if illness perceptions predict HRV at 3 months following acute MI.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> 130 patients referred to a tertiary cardiology center, were examined within 48 h and 3 months following acute MI. At admission, patients' cognitive representations of their MI were assessed using the German version of the self-rated Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ). At admission and after 3 months (follow-up), frequency and time domain measures of HRV were obtained from 5-min electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings during stable supine resting.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Linear hierarchical regression showed that the Brief IPQ dimensions timeline (β coefficient = 0.29; <italic>p</italic> = 0.044), personal control (β = 0.47; <italic>p</italic> = 0.008) and illness understanding (β = 0.43; p = 0.014) were significant predictors of HRV, adjusted for age, gender, baseline HRV, diabetes, beta-blockers, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), attendance of cardiac rehabilitation, and depressive symptoms.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> As patients' negative perceptions of their illness are associated with lower HRV following acute MI, a brief illness perception questionnaire may help to identify patients who might benefit from a specific illness perceptions intervention.</p>