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Biomedical subjects

J Brymer

Publications and source records attributed to J Brymer.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Five-year follow-up for adverse outcomes in males with at least minimally positive angiograms: importance of "denial" in assessing psychosocial risk factors.

The purpose of this study was to test the role of "denial" (spouse/friend minus self-ratings on parallel versions of the same questionnaire) in diluting the predictive value of emotional distress for cardiac events (deaths, new MIs, and/or revascularizations). One hundred forty-four men with no history of prior revascularization who had at least minimally positive diagnostic coronary angiograms, and someone they selected as "someone who knows you well," completed parallel versions of the Ketterer Stress Symptom Frequency Checklist (KSSFC). They were followed up by phone an average of 59.7 months after recruitment. Length of follow-up, baseline cardiac risk factors, and a number of baseline-obtained psychosocial risk factors were tested as prospective predictors of combined events (death by any cause, new MIs, and/or revascularizations) and current anginal frequency. Only spouse/friend observed anxiety on the KSSFC predicted current anginal frequency (p = 0.001). On the self-report version of the KSSFC, patients with one or more events reported less anger (p = 0.031), depression (p = 0.008), and anxiety (p = 0.003). These results may be attributable to "denial" because there were no differences in spouse/friend ratings, and difference scores (spouse/friend minus patient) on the KSSFC scales, particularly anger, were also related to events: AIAI (p = 0.002); depression (p = 0.063); and anxiety (p = 0.010). Denial may be a major limiting factor in accurately assessing emotional distress in cardiac populations, and may help account for a number of the previous findings.

Angiography↗
PubMed1996

Emotional distress among males with "syndrome X".

The present study examined traditional risk factors and various indices of emotional distress in males with positive angiograms (N = 122), "syndrome X" males with negative or nominal results on angiogram (N = 53), and age- and socioeconomic status-matched males with no manifest history of otherosclerotic disease (N = 56). Syndrome X patients reported more depression on the Ketterer Stress Symptom Frequency Checklist (KSSFC) than positive angiographic patients. And compared with healthy controls, they were more likely to be perceived by a spouse/friend as depressed and anxious on the KSSFC, scored higher on the Framingham Type A Scale, and reported more unprovoked nocturnal awakening. Syndrome X patients generally appear to be similar to patients with positive angiograms with regard to traditional risk factor history but are more distressed than healthy controls. This becomes most evident when denial is circumvented by discussion with significant others or inquiries are "framed" appropriately.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1996

Is aspirin, as used for antithrombosis, an emotion-modulating agent?

Antiplatelet substances, generally aspirin, have become widely used for secondary prevention of ischemic heart disease. Used in relatively small doses, it is generally assumed that aspirin has no psychoactive effect. The present study took advantage of a sample of 174 males undergoing coronary angiography to see if regular aspirin use as prophylactic therapy for ischemic heart disease was associated with one or more of a number of measures of emotional distress. Aspirin use was found to be associated with less depression and anxiety or worry, as reported by the patient and as perceived by a significant other. Despite a significant association of aspirin use with the presence of documented coronary artery disease, the association of aspirin use and diminished distress could not be accounted for by the previously observed high prevalence of depressed/anxious individuals among patients with negative or nominal results on angiography, or by a number of other demographic or clinical variables such as age and socioeconomic status. Although only correlational in nature, present results raise the question of whether aspirin may have a beneficial mood-modulating effect.

Affect↗
PubMed1988

Systemic embolization from thrombus in normal left ventricles.

It is extremely rare for a thrombus to form in a normal functioning left ventricle. We present two patients in whom this occurred without any plausable explanation. In both instances the patients presented with systemic emboli and had no heart disease or hypercoagulable state. The diagnosis was made by two-dimensional echocardiography and subsequently confirmed during surgery.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular function during coronary artery angioplasty.

Balloon occlusion of a stenotic coronary artery during percutaneous coronary artery angioplasty provides a unique opportunity to study the effect of acute myocardial ischemia on left ventricular (LV) function. Simultaneous M-mode and 2-dimensional (2-D) echocardiograms and a 6-lead electrocardiogram were recorded during 20 episodes of coronary artery occlusion and release in 12 patients. No patient had previous myocardial infarction and all had normal LV function by angiography. All patients had isolated single coronary artery disease, with left anterior descending stenosis in 8 and right coronary stenosis in 4. In 18 of 20 episodes (90%), M-mode echocardiography during balloon occlusion revealed a significant (p less than 0.001) decrease in LV systolic, diastolic and percent systolic wall thickness; systolic excursion; systolic and diastolic endocardial velocities; and fractional shortening. These changes were observed in the area of the ventricular septum in patients with left anterior descending occlusion and posteroinferior wall in those with right coronary artery occlusion. Two-dimensional echocardiography revealed varying degrees of hypokinesia, akinesia and dyskinesia during balloon occlusion in 18 instances. The echocardiographic changes were observed within 15 to 20 seconds of balloon occlusion and resolved 10 to 20 seconds after balloon deflation. All patients who had echocardiographic changes during balloon occlusion also had concomitant electrocardiographic (ECG) ST-segment elevation, whereas 2 patients with normal LV function had no ECG changes. Both of these patients had profuse collateral blood supply to the stenotic coronary artery. The echocardiographic and ECG abnormalities increased proportionately to the length of balloon occlusion. This study confirms previous animal and recent human studies of transient LV dysfunction during coronary occlusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Angioplasty, Balloon↗
PubMed1978

Myocardial revascularization in patients receiving long-term propranolol therapy.

Twenty-seven patients receiving long-term propranolol therapy underwent myocardial revascularization to relieve stable or unstable angina. The patients were randomly divided into two groups, one (Group 1) in which propranolol was discontinued 48 hours prior to operation and one (Group 2) in which patients received a final dose of propranolol 1 to 2 hours prior to operation. Several physiological variables were compared, and there was no statistically significant difference between the groups except for a slower pulse rate in Group 2 patients. Although the patients in Group 1 showed a greater frequency of hypertension before bypass, the incidence of postoperative complications and perioperative myocardial infarction was the same for both groups. The findings of this study indicate that myocardial revascularization is safe even if propranolol is administered up to 1 or 2 hours before operation.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Idioventricular tachycardia with angina pectoris.

Idioventricular tachycardia (IVT) occurred in a patient with angina pectoris on three separate occasions associated with stress induced angina. It occurred immediately after a Master's test, a treadmill exercise test, and following an episode of paroxysmal atrial tachycardia which was precipitated by endocardial pacing. His bundle electrograms demonstrated that the rhythm was ventricular in origin. Cardiac catheterization documented the presence of severe coronary artery disease. Idioventricular tachycardia is often seen with acute myocardial infarction. It is rarely seen with angina or with exercise testing. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of IVT which could be repeatedly produced by stress induced angina.

Angina Pectoris↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Snoring and the severity of coronary artery disease in men.

Previous studies have found associations between snoring, or polysomnographic documented sleep apnea, and hypertension, cerebral vascular disease, and myocardial infarction. The present study examined the relationship of coronary artery disease (CAD) and snoring. One hundred and twenty-two males with positive angiographic studies were compared with fifty-six men, matched in age and socioeconomic status, who had no known history of coronary heart, or other atherosclerotic, disease. The percentage of subjects reporting that they snore "usually" or "always/loudly" increased across the four CAD severity groupings (nonpatient controls = 19.6%, 1 vessel = 44.4%, 2 vessel = 41.9%, 3 vessel = 56.0%) with a p value of .005. Hypertension, body mass index, and pack years of smoking were found to be associated with both coronary artery disease severity and snoring. When these variables were controlled in a multiple regression analysis, the relationship of snoring and CAD severity remained significant at p = .050.

Coronary Angiography↗