Pilot Randomized Study of a Gratitude Journaling Intervention on Heart Rate Variability and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients With Stage B Heart Failure. Issue 6 (July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Redwine, Laura S.; Henry, Brook L.; Pung, Meredith A.; Wilson, Kathleen; Chinh, Kelly; Knight, Brian; Jain, Shamini; Rutledge, Thomas; Greenberg, Barry; Maisel, Alan; Mills, Paul J.
• Is Part Of: Psychosomatic medicine. Volume 78:Issue 6(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-07
• Subjects: heart failure -- heart rate variability -- inflammatory -- gratitude -- intervention -- ANCOVA = analysis of co-variance -- ANS = autonomic nervous system -- BMI = body mass index -- CRP = C-reactive protein -- CVD = cardiovascular disease -- ECG = electrocardiogram -- GQ-6 = 6-item Gratitude Questionnaire -- HF = heart failure -- HRV = heart rate variability -- IL-6 = interleukin-6 -- LTEQ = Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire -- LV = left ventricular -- MI = myocardial infarction -- RMSSD = root mean square successive differences -- SD1 = standard deviation of the distances of the RRi to the slope of the line -- sTNFr1 = soluble tumor necrosis factor-α receptor 1 -- TAU = treatment as usual -- TNF-α = tumor necrosis factor α; Medicine, Psychosomatic -- Periodicals; 616.0805
• DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000316
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0033-3174

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Objective: Stage B, asymptomatic heart failure (HF) presents a therapeutic window for attenuating disease progression and development of HF symptoms, and improving quality of life. Gratitude, the practice of appreciating positive life features, is highly related to quality of life, leading to development of promising clinical interventions. However, few gratitude studies have investigated objective measures of physical health; most relied on self-report measures. We conducted a pilot study in Stage B HF patients to examine whether gratitude journaling improved biomarkers related to HF prognosis. Methods: Patients ( n = 70; mean [standard deviation] age = 66.2 [7.6] years) were randomized to an 8-week gratitude journaling intervention or treatment as usual. Baseline (T1) assessments included the six-item Gratitude Questionnaire, resting heart rate variability (HRV), and an inflammatory biomarker index. At T2 (midintervention), the six-item Gratitude Questionnaire was measured. At T3 (postintervention), T1 measures were repeated but also included a gratitude journaling task. Results: The gratitude intervention was associated with improved trait gratitude scores ( F = 6.0, p = .017, η 2 = 0.10), reduced inflammatory biomarker index score over time ( F = 9.7, p = .004, η 2 = 0.21), and increased parasympathetic HRV responses during the gratitude journaling task ( F = 4.2, p = .036, η 2 = 0.15), compared with treatment as usual. However, there were no resting preintervention to postintervention group differences in HRV ( p values > .10). Conclusions: Gratitude journaling may improve biomarkers related to HF morbidity, such as reduced inflammation; large-scale studies with active control conditions are needed to confirm these findings. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01615094 Abstract : Supplemental digital content is available in the text.