Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Jan 15:371:28-39.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2022.09.047. Epub 2022 Sep 23.

Ischemia with no obstructive coronary artery disease (INOCA): A patient self-report quality of life survey from INOCA international

Martha Gulati  1 , Najah Khan  2 , Maria George  3 , Colin Berry  4 , Alaide Chieffo  5 , Paolo G Camici  6 , Filippo Crea  7 , Juan-Carlos Kaski  8 , Mario Marzilli  9 , C Noel Bairey Merz  10
Affiliations
Free article

Ischemia with no obstructive coronary artery disease (INOCA): A patient self-report quality of life survey from INOCA international

Martha Gulati et al. Int J Cardiol. .
Free article

Abstract

Background: There is limited information available regarding evidence of ischemia with no obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA) and quality of life.

Purpose: To determine associations between INOCA and self-reported physical, social, and mental health.

Methods: We conducted a survey of all members (n = 1579) of the INOCA International patient support group. Current self-reported diagnosis and health measures were collected. Functional capacity was retrospectively estimated using the Duke Activity Status Index (DASI), assessing levels of activities performed prior and after symptom onset.

Results: A total of 297 (20.8% response rate, 91% women) reported symptoms of chest pain, pressure, or discomfort in 92.9%. Overall, 34.4% were living with symptoms for ≥3 years before an INOCA diagnosis, and 77.8% were told their symptoms were not cardiac. Estimated functional capacity was higher prior to compared to after symptom onset (8.6 ± 1.8 METs vs 5.6 ± 1.8 METs; P < 0.0001). Most respondents reported an adverse impact of symptoms on their home life (80.5%), social life (80.1%), mental health (70.4%), outlook on life (69.7%), sex life (55.9%), and their partner/spouse relationship (53.9%), while approximately three-quarters reduced their work hours or stopped work completely, 47.5% retired early, and 38.4% applied for disability.

Conclusions: INOCA symptoms are associated with adverse physical, mental and social health quality of life. Increased patient awareness, physician recognition and diagnosis, and clinical trials are needed to develop evidence-based guidelines for this increasingly recognized cardiovascular disorder.

Keywords: Disability, functional capacity, mental health, coronary artery disease; Ischemia with no obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA); Ischemic heart disease; Myocardial infarction with no obstructive coronary arteries coronary artery disease (MINOCA); Quality of life.

PubMed Disclaimer