Patients With Atypical Chest Pain: Epidemiology and Reported Consequences

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2024-01, Vol.16 (1), p.e53076-e53076
• Main Authors: Bahall, Mandreker, Kissoon, Sherece, Islam, Samiha, Panchoo, Sarah, Bhola-Singh, Naomi, Maharaj, Mitra, Khan, Fiyad, Marajh, Sathyadeep, Maharaj, Aishwarya, Legall, George
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age groups; Anxiety disorders; Cardiology; Cardiovascular disease; Comorbidity; Diabetes; Education; Emergency medical care; Epidemiology/Public Health; Females; Hypertension; Hypothesis testing; Loneliness; LSD; Lysergic acid diethylamide; Mental depression; Missing data; Pain; Patients; Public Health; Questionnaires; Social support; Sociodemographics; Statistics; Stress; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.53076

Approximately a quarter of the global population experiences chest pain during their lifetime worldwide. Although largely non-life-threatening, many patients experience mental, physical, social, and financial consequences. This study aimed to describe and determine the epidemiology and consequences of patients presenting with atypical chest pain (ACP).  Method: Data were obtained from 102 participants, from a desired sample size of 166. The target population was patients who presented with ACP at the Accident and Emergency Department of a Teaching Hospital in Trinidad during a two-year period, from January 2021 to December 2022. The data collection instrument used was a 34-item online questionnaire. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Participants were predominantly women (63.7%; n = 65), between 31 and 50 years of age (74.5%; n = 76), in full-time employment (n = 58; 56.9%), who lived with at least one person (90.2%; n = 92) at the time of the episode. Overall, 61.8% (n = 63) reported having a stressful life. Hypertension (30.4%; n = 31) and diabetes (18.6%; n = 19) were the leading comorbidities. Participants experienced mild to severe anxiety (53.9%; n = 55), moderate to severe depression (25.5%; n = 26), moderate stress (65.7%; n = 67), and loneliness (25.5%; n = 26). A stressful life was associated with, and was a predictor of, both anxiety and loneliness. No sociodemographic variables were associated with depression or stress. The most common self-reported consequences were "fear as a result of the pain" (68.6%; n = 69), "interruptions to daily life" (60.8%; n = 61), "reduction in time spent on hobbies" (62.7%; n = 63), and costly diagnostic/investigative tests (62.7%; n = 64). The majority of patients (52.9%; n = 53) reported reduced quality of life. The most common treatment prescribed was paracetamol (53.9%; n = 55) and exercise (23.5%; n = 24). The study participants were mainly women, 31-50 years old, who had experienced anxiety, stress, or depression. They mainly experienced fear and self-reported a reduced quality of life.