Impact of preoperative physical activity and depressive symptoms on post-cardiac surgical outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the independent and combined impact of preoperative physical activity and depressive symptoms with hospital length of stay (HLOS), and postoperative re-hospitalization and mortality in cardiac surgery patients. METHODS: A cohort study including 405 elective and in-house urgent cardiac surgery patients were analyzed preoperatively. Physical activity was assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire to categorize patients as active and inactive. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to evaluate preoperative depressive symptoms and categorize patients as depressed and not depressed. Patients were separated into four groups: 1) Not depressed/active (n = 209), 2) Depressed/active (n = 48), 3) Not depressed/inactive (n = 101), and 4) Depressed/inactive (n = 47). Administrative data captured re-hospitalization and mortality data, and were combined into a composite endpoint. Models adjusted for demographics, comorbidities, and cardiac surgery type. Multiple imputation was used to impute missing values. RESULTS: Preoperative physical activity behavior and depression were not associated with HLOS examined in isolation or when analyzed by the physical activity/depressive symptom groups. Physical inactivity (HR: 1.60, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.42; p = 0.03), but not depressive symptoms, was independently associated with the composite outcome. Freedom from the composite outcome were 76.1%, 87.5%, 68.0%, and 61.7% in the Not depressed/active, Depressed/active, Not depressed/inactive, and Depressed/inactive groups, respectively (P = 0.02). The Active/Depressed group had a lower risk of the composite outcome (HR: 0.35 95% CI 0.14 to 0.89; p = 0.03) compared to the other physical activity/depression groups. CONCLUSION: Preoperative physical activity appears to be more important than depressive symptoms on short-term postoperative re-hospitalization and mortality.

Depression before and after cardiac surgery: do all patients respond the same?

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for depression before and after cardiac surgery. METHODS: Patients awaiting nonemergent surgery (N = 436), completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depression, as well as the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short version preoperatively (Q1, n = 436) and at hospital discharge (Q2, n = 374). At baseline patients were categorized depression "naïve," "at risk," or "depressed." At each interval patients were identified as "not depressed" (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score 0-3), "possibly depressed" (score 4-9), or "depressed" (score >9). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified independent baseline and perioperative variables associated with depression. RESULTS: Depression prevalence at Q1 and Q2 was 23.6% and 37.7%, respectively (P < .001). The incidence of new depression at discharge was 29.2%. Multivariate logistic regression identified independent variables associated with depression: preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction 30% to 49% (Q1: odds ratio [OR], 1.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-3.21; P = .042), left ventricular ejection fraction < 30% (Q1: OR, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.13-6.96; P = .026), physical inactivity (Q1: OR, 2.03; 95% CI; 1.26-3.28; P = .002), baseline at-risk group (Q2: OR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.28-3.67; P = .004), baseline depressed group (Q2: OR, 7.46; 95% CI, 4.06-13.69; P < .0001), hospital length of stay >7 days (Q2: OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.03-2.55; P = .039). CONCLUSIONS: Depression is prevalent in one-third of cardiac surgery patients at time of discharge. It is not associated with operative or postoperative risk factors, with the exception of prolonged hospital stay >7 days. Preoperative depression or being at risk for depression, is associated with the highest risk for postoperative depression.

Impact of physical activity on depression after cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in cardiac patients. However, the benefits of physical activity on depression perioperatively are unknown. We sought to identify independent parameters associated with depression in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. METHODS: Patients awaiting nonemergent cardiac surgery (n = 436) completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to quantify depression (PHQ-9 score > 9). Physical activity was assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-short) and accelerometry. Data collection occurred preoperatively (Q1, n = 436), at hospital discharge (Q2, n = 374), at 3 months (Q3, n = 318), and at 6 months (Q4, n = 342) postoperatively. Patients were categorized as "depression naive", "at risk" or "depressed" preoperatively. Physical inactivity was defined as < 600 metabolic equivalent min/wk. Independent perioperative variables associated with depression were identified with univariate and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Depression prevalence from Q1-Q4 was 23%, 37%, 21%, and 23%, respectively. Independent associations with depression were preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction < 50% (Q1, P < 0.05), physical inactivity (Q1, P < 0.05), baseline "at-risk" (Q2, P < 0.05), and baseline "depressed" groups (Q2-Q4, P < 0.05), hospital stay > 7 days (Q2, P < 0.05), postoperative stressful event (Q3 and Q4, P < 0.05), and cardiopulmonary bypass time > 120 minutes (Q4, P = 0.05). Newly depressed patients 6 months postoperatively reported lower IPAQ-short physical activity than depression-free patients (median change, -40 min/wk (interquartile range [IQR], -495 to +255) vs +213 min/wk (IQR, +150 to +830; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Up to 40% of patients are depressed after cardiac surgery. Preoperative depression and postoperative stressful events were the strongest independent associations postoperatively. Physical inactivity was associated with preoperative depression and new depression 6 months postoperatively.