The comparison of anxiety sensitivity, perception of bodily sensations, anxiety and depression levels among cardiology outpatients with palpitations who were applied EPS and were not applied EPS and healthy controls

Palpitations, are one of the most common symptoms that prompt patients to consult general practitioners, cardiologists or emergency services. Although palpitation can be observed as a common symptom in both cardiac diseases and psychiatric disorders, previous studies have shown that the palpitation is seen often among psychiatric disorders (%25-50), particularly in panic disorder. In this study, we aim to compare anxiety sensitivity, perception of bodily sensations, anxiety and depression levels among cardiology outpatients with complaints of palpitations who were applied EPS and were not applied EPS and healthy controls. According to the cardiac examination and test results, the patients who had cardiac arrhythmia findings or considered as arrhythmia and/or requirement for definitive diagnoses composed the EPS applied group (n=37) and patients who had not any cardiac arrhythmia composed the EPS non-applied group (n=38). Any healthy individuals with no history of cardiac disease or psychiatric disorder composed the healthy control group (n=32). All the participants were evaluated by The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Psychiatric Disorders. Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Global Assessment of Functioning scale were performed by the investigator. Panic Agoraphobia Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, State Trait Anxiety Inventory, Somatosensory Amplification Scale, Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 and,Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale were performed by all participants. In this study, a cardiac arrhythmia was diagnosed in %62.2 of the patients who were applied EPS and %85.7 of these patients? psychiatric evaluation was normal. %62.2 of the patients who were applied EPS had a comorbid psychiatric disorder and this ratio was %76.3 in patients who were not applied EPS. Panic disorder was observed %51.3 of the patients who were applied EPS and %54.7 of the patients who were not applied EPS. Anxiety sensitivity, perception of bodily sensations, anxiety and depression levels were higher in both patients who had not arrhythmia with EPS and who were not applied EPS, compared to patients who had arrhythmia with EPS. There was no significant difference in terms of depressive symptoms between these three groups. In this study, the relationship between cardiac diseases and psychiatric disorders is also shown clinically. The requirement for detailed assesment of this common complaint in cardiology patients is emphasized with this study for both the patient and the clinician. Keywords: Anxiety sensitivity, Panic disorder, Electrophysiology study, Cardiac arrhythmia