Healio: Chronic stress after new, worsening PAD diagnosis predicts long-term mortality

Among patients with new or worsening peripheral artery disease, chronic stress was independently associated with elevated risk for all-cause mortality in the subsequent 4 years, researchers reported.

Self-reported chronic stress at 1 year was common in this population, occurring in nearly 20% of patients, the researchers wrote.

“This is the first time that we have documented this association in peripheral artery disease,” Kim Smolderen, PhD, FAHA, co-director of the Vascular Medicine Outcomes Program in cardiovascular medicine section at Yale University, told Healio. “While there are evidence-based treatments to lower individuals’ stress, we do not know whether that may also help in lowering the risk for mortality in PAD. What we do know is that the burden of stress is real in these patients and more holistic chronic disease management should also integrate awareness and care for mental health concerns in this vulnerable population.”

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