Patients With Heart Disease Clinical Trial
Official title:
Study of Sexual Dysfunction and Place of Sexuality in Patients Included in a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program in Champagne-Ardenne
Sexual health is an important marker of individual quality of life and well-being of patients. Sexual dysfunction (SD) is common in patients with heart disease. Screening and management are recommended. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) seems to be a privileged moment to address this problem, but the management is often insufficient. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of SD in patients in CR in the Champagne-Ardenne region. Secondary objectives were to describe SD most frequently encountered, to identify risk factors of SD, to compare the feelings of patients about their sex life, before and after an acute cardiac event and to collect an estimate of the need for care by a dedicated sexology workshop. The investigators conducted an observational multicenter prospective study for descriptive and analytical purposes after approval by the Institutional review board. An anonymous questionnaire was distributed from June 1 to September 1, 2017 in patients participating in a cardiac rehabilitation program in the various centers in the region.
Sexual health is an important marker of individual quality of life and well-being of
patients. Sexual dysfunction (SD) is common in patients with heart disease. Screening and
management are recommended. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) seems to be a privileged moment to
address this problem, but the management is often insufficient. The main objective of the
study was to evaluate the prevalence of SD in patients in CR in the Champagne-Ardenne region.
Secondary objectives were to describe SD most frequently encountered, to identify risk
factors of SD, to compare the feelings of patients about their sex life, before and after an
acute cardiac event and to collect an estimate of the need for care by a dedicated sexology
workshop.
This prospective multicentre study was carried out in the cardiac rehabilitation centers of
Champagne-Ardenne (Reims, Ardennes and Troyes ) between 1 June and 1 September 2017 by
anonymous self-questionnaire.
Eligible patients must have reached the age of majority, participate in a CR program at one
of the centers cited, and agreed to respond to the study questionnaire voluntarily. Sexual
inactivity and celibacy were not exclusionary criteria because prior sexual behavior did not
predict future behavior and the need for counseling. Patients were informed about the
objectives and conduct of the study by a health professional during their rehabilitation
program or in follow-up consultations with the cardiologist. If the patient agreed to
participate in the study, a questionnaire and an information sheet was provided. The
questionnaire had to be completed anonymously and individually by the patient, to avoid any
influence. It was then put back in an enclosed opaque envelope, in a closed urn left near the
cloakroom of each center.
Data are described as mean (± standard deviation) for quantitative variables and as a
percentage for categorical variables. The Student or Wilcoxon-Mann Whitney test were used for
the quantitative variables and chi-square or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables.
The multivariate analysis of SD risk factors was performed by logistic regression. The Odds
Ratio (OR) is reported with its 95% confidence interval (CI). The tests were bilateral with a
threshold of significance at p <0.05.
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