Influencing factors of kinesiophobia in older patients with chronic heart failure: A structural equation model.

BACKGROUND: Our recent study has demonstrated that kinesiophobia is common in Chinese inpatients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Symptoms of heart failure (HF), coping mode, self-efficacy for exercise (SEE), and social support have been reported to be associated with kinesiophobia. However, little is known about the relationships between these four variables and kinesiophobia in older patients with CHF. OBJECTIVE: To test a model of influencing factors of kinesiophobia in older CHF patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was conducted from January 2021 to October 2021. The general information questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia Heart (TSK-SV Heart-C), Symptom Status Questionnaire-Heart Failure, SEE, the Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire, and Social Support Rating Scale were used. Spearman correlation analysis and structural equation model (SEM) were performed for data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 270 older patients with CHF were recruited. Symptom status of HF (r = 0.455, p < .01), avoidance coping mode (r = 0.393, p <.01), and yielding coping mode (r = 0.439, p < .01) were positively correlated with kinesiophobia, while SEE (r = -0.530, p < .01), facing coping mode (r = -0.479, p < .01), and social support (r = -0.464, p < .01) were negatively correlated with kinesiophobia. SEM analysis showed that social support could affect kinesiophobia through the mediating variables of symptom status of HF, avoidance coping mode, and exercise self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Symptoms of HF, coping mode, SEE, and social support may play role in kinesiophobia in older CHF patients. We should pay more attention to the synergies among these four variables in the improvement of kinesiophobia.

The relationship between symptom perception and fear of progression in patients with chronic heart failure: a multiple mediation analysis.

AIMS: Studies have shown that symptom perception is associated with fear of progression (FOP) in many diseases and regulated by psychological factors. Whether the association also occurs in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) remains unclear, as do the specific mechanisms involved. This study aimed to explore the multiple mediation effects of self-care confidence and mental resilience on the relationship between symptom perception and FOP in Chinese patients with chronic HF. METHODS AND RESULTS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 247 patients with chronic HF recruited from two hospitals in Yangzhou, China. The sociodemographic and clinical data and self-reported questionnaires including heart failure somatic perception, fear of progression, self-care confidence, and mental resilience were collected. Data analysis relating to correlations and mediating effects was carried out by SPSS 26.0 and PROCESS v3.3 macro. Fear of progression was positively correlated with symptom perception (r = 0.599, P < 0.01), but negatively correlated with self-care confidence (r = -0.663, P < 0.01), mental resilience-strength (r = -0.521, P < 0.01), and mental resilience-toughness (r = -0.596, P < 0.01). The relationship between symptom perception and FOP was mediated by self-care confidence [effect = 0.095, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.054-0.142)] and mental resilience-toughness [effect = 0.033, 95% CI (0.006-0.074)], respectively, and together in serial [effect = 0.028, 95% CI (0.011-0.050)]. The proportion of the mediating effect accounting for the total effect was 31.0%. CONCLUSION: Self-care confidence and mental resilience-toughness were multiple mediators of the association between symptom perception and FOP in patients with chronic HF. Interventions targeted at strengthening self-care confidence and mental resilience may be beneficial for the reduction of FOP, especially with regard to toughness.

Protective effects of drag-reducing polymers in a rat model of monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: Drag-reducing polymers (DRPs) are blood-soluble macromolecules which may increase blood flow and reduce vascular resistance. The purpose of the present study was to observe the effect of DRPs on monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) in the rat model. METHODS: A total of 64 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: Group I (pulmonary hypertension model + DRP treatment); Group II (pulmonary hypertension model + saline treatment); Group III (control + DRP treatment); Group IV (control + saline treatment). After five weeks, comparisons were made of the following indices: survival rate, body weight, blood pressure, right ventricular systolic pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy, wall thickness of pulmonary arteries, the internal diameter of small pulmonary arteries, plasma IL-1ß and IL-6. RESULTS: The survival rate after 5 weeks varied significantly across all groups (P=0.013), but the survival rates of Groups I and II were not statistically significantly different. Administration of DRP (intravenous injection twice weekly) attenuated the PH-induced increase in right ventricular systolic pressure and suppressed the increases in right ventricular (RV) weight and the ratio of right ventricular weight to left ventricle plus septum weight (RV/LV + S). DRP treatment also significantly decreased the wall thickness of pulmonary arteries, augmented the internal diameter of small pulmonary arteries, and suppressed increases in the plasma levels of IL-1ß and IL-6. CONCLUSIONS: DRP treatment with intravenous injection effectively inhibited the development of monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in the rat model. DRPs may have potential application for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.