Table 3

Occurrence (%) of symptoms and complaints in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients and the control population

Angina pectoris
 Controls
Myocardial infarction
 Controls


N = 177–185
 N = 728–736
N = 129–134
 N = 514–525


%
 %
 p
 %
 %
 p
At least mild dyspnoea (Rose and Blackburn 1968)
 66.5
 33.2
 <0.001
 75.4
 35.3
 <0.001
Chest pain during anger or emotion





          Almost daily
 12.2
 1.0
 <0.001
 16.3
 0.8
 <0.001
          Weekly
 12.8
 2.5
 <0.001
 16.3
 3.3
 <0.001
Palpitation without physical exercise





          Almost daily
 14.1
 3.4
 <0.001
 20.8
 3.5
 <0.001
          Weekly
 15.3
 5.2
 <0.001
 16.9
 5.4
 <0.001
Perspiration without physical exercise





          Almost daily
 22.7
 9.7
 <0.001
 26.0
 11.0
 <0.001
          Weekly
 18.2
 10.2
 0.003
 16.8
 8.3
 0.001
Irregular heart beats





          Almost daily
 15.7
 3.5
 <0.001
 24.0
 3.7
 <0.001
          Weekly
 12.4
 6.1
 0.004
 14.0
 4.4
 <0.001
Depression (Beck ≥ 10)
 41.6
 20.4
 <0.001
 43.3
 21.0
 <0.001
Sleeping hours ≤ 6 in a day
 16.8
 10.3
 0.015
 19.4
 10.1
 0.003
Poor sleep usually
 25.0
 15.4
 0.002
 32.1
 13.0
 <0.001
Daytime sleepiness





          Almost daily
 33.2
 11.2
 <0.001
 32.1
 14.9
 <0.001
Flushing





          Almost daily
 11.1
 7.0
 0.066
 10.9
 7.6
 0.228
          Weekly
 12.8
 7.1
 0.014
 9.3
 8.0
 0.624
Trembling of hands





          Almost daily
 13.8
 2.3
 <0.001
 9.2
 3.3
 0.004
          Weekly
 8.3
 4.7
 0.053
 10.7
 4.0
 0.003
Trembling of voice





          Almost daily
 3.3
 1.1
 0.030
 5.3
 1.2
 0.002
          Weekly
 3.3
 1.2
 0.049
 3.8
 2.3
 0.341
Jerking of muscles





          Almost daily
 13.7
 2.7
 <0.001
 12.3
 4.4
 0.001
          Weekly
 11.5
 2.7
 <0.001
 9.2
 3.8
 0.011

Sumanen et al. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 2004 2:60   doi:10.1186/1477-7525-2-60