Η επίδραση της αντιυπερτασικής αγωγής στην ποιότητα ζωής και στην ψυχική υγεία ; Impact of anti-hypertensive medication on quality of life and mental health in essential hypertension

Background: Patients with chronic conditions like hypertension may experience many negative emotions which increase their risk for poor quality of life as well as the development of anxiety and depression symptomatology. However our knowledge about the potential effects of factors such as psychological characteristics, clinical characteristics and medication that associated with this phenomenon is still elusive and debatable.Aims: This study aims to investigate the possible link among dimensions of depressive symptoms, psychopathology and quality of life in essential hypertension. We examine also whether anti-hypertensive medication impacts on depressive symptoms, psychopathology and quality of life in a sample of hypertensive patients.Methods: A hybrid of both cross-sectional and prospective design was performed. A sample of 197 patients (89 men - 108 women, mean age 53 years, SD = 12 ranged 25-78) with a newly diagnosis of essential hypertension was recruited from an outpatient hypertension clinic of a university hospital in Greece. The questionnaires included at baseline (T1): a) question for the recording of social-demographic characteristics and clinical features, b) The Short Form 36 (SF-36) General Health Survey questionnaire, c) the Beck Depression Inventory –II (BDI-II), d) The Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) e) The Eyesenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) andf) The Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire (CAQ-10GR). Οne hundred twenty four participants completed the SF-36, BDI-II, SCL-90-R and EPQ again one year later (T2).Results: Lower levels of quality of life and higher levels of depression, psychopathology and cardiac anxiety (cardiophobia) were observed. Linear regression models found that for psychical health component cardiophobia (Beta=-.36), dyslipidaemia (Beta=.32), somatization (Beta=.3), paranoid ideation (Beta=.3), duration of disease (Beta=-.25), avoidance activities (Beta=-.16), CRP (Beta=.14) and depression(Beta=.13) were associated on levels of quality of life in hypertensive patients ...