Abstract 17412: Vital Exhaustion and Incident Cardiovascular Disease: a Meta-Analysis

Background: A number of psychosocial conditions are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. One such condition is vital exhaustion (VE), defined as a combination of fatigue, increased irritability and feelings of demoralization. To date, a number of studies have examined the association between VE, fatigue (as a stand-alone entity) and subsequent cardiovascular events with varying results. In order to evaluate the potency of VE/fatigue as a CVD risk factor, we conducted a meta-analysis of existing studies concerning these factors in the literature. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE and PsychINFO (1972-May, 2014) was performed to identify all prospective studies involving subjects without baseline CVD, investigating the relationship between VE/fatigue and incident CVD. Unadjusted and adjusted effect estimates were extracted from individual studies. Pooled effect estimates were calculated with DerSimonian and Laird random effects models. Results: Eleven prospective studies with a t...