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Association of Acute Coronary Syndrome-Induced Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms with Self-Reported Sleep

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are associated with recurrent ACS events and mortality. Poor sleep may be a mechanism, but the association between PTSD and sleep after ACS is unknown.

Purpose

This study aims to estimate the association between ACS-induced PTSD symptoms and self-reported sleep.

Methods

ACS-induced PTSD symptoms were assessed 1-month post-ACS in 188 adults using the Impact of Events Scale-Revised. Sleep was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Linear and logistic regression models were used to determine whether PTSD symptoms were associated with self-reported sleep, independent of sociodemographic and clinical covariates.

Results

In adjusted models, ACS-induced PTSD symptoms were associated with worse overall sleep (β = 0.22, p = 0.003) and greater impairment in six of seven components of sleep (all p values <0.05).

Conclusions

ACS-induced PTSD symptoms may be associated with poor sleep, which may explain why PTSD confers increased cardiovascular risk after ACS.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants HL-088117, HL-076857, HL-080665, HL-101663, and HL-084034 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Shaffer is supported by grants 12CRP8870004 from the American Heart Association and K23-HL112850 from NHLBI/NIH. Dr. Kronish is supported by grant K23-HL098359 from NHLBI/NIH.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

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Correspondence to Jonathan A. Shaffer PhD.

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Shaffer, J.A., Kronish, I.M., Burg, M. et al. Association of Acute Coronary Syndrome-Induced Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms with Self-Reported Sleep. ann. behav. med. 46, 349–357 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-013-9512-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-013-9512-8

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