Abstract

Objective To explore the lived experience of people with myocardial ischaemia with no obstructive arteries. Design Qualitative study using semistructured interviews. Setting Telephone interviews with 17 participants living in the UK. Participants 17 people (2 males, 15 females; aged 31–69 years) with a presumed or confirmed diagnosis of myocardial ischaemia with no obstructive arteries, recruited via social media and online patient-led support forums. Results Five themes were generated. Theme 1 describes the wide range of experiences that participants described, particularly the frequency and intensity of symptoms, and the uncertainty and fear that symptoms commonly provoked. Theme 2 describes the major impact on social relationships, employment and other aspects of everyday life. Theme 3 illustrates challenging and traumatising experiences participants described around pathways to diagnosis and accessing medical support. Theme 4 highlights the lack of consensus and clarity that participants had been confronted with around treatment and management. Theme 5 describes coping and supportive strategies valued by participants. Conclusions This study provides insight into the challenges of living with myocardial ischaemia with no obstructive arteries. Findings highlight the significant psychological impact on people living with these conditions and the need for improvements in diagnosis, support and long-term management.

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

2-8-2024

Volume

11

Issue

1

Funding Information

British Heart Foundation

School

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Publisher

BMJ Publishing Group

Comments

Humphreys, H., Paddock, D., Brown, S., Berry, C., Cowie, A., Dawkes, S., & Nichols, S. (2024). Living with myocardial ischaemia and no obstructive coronary arteries: A qualitative study. Open Heart, 11(1), article e002569. https://doi.org/10.1136/openhrt-2023-002569

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1136/openhrt-2023-002569