Important Discovery: Seasonal Changes Significantly Affect the Quality of Life in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of death in developed countries. This condition goes beyond physical symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, and exercise intolerance. It also affects a person’s emotional well-being, social life, and even economic situation. As a chronic condition, it requires not only medical treatment but also ongoing lifestyle management. Quality of life in CAD patients is one of the key indicators for assessing their overall condition and the effectiveness of treatment.

According to Dr Nijolė Kažukauskienė, researcher at the Neuroscience Institute of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU), health-related quality of life has, for over a decade, been considered a crucial measure when evaluating the functional capacity of individuals with coronary artery disease.

A Breakthrough: Long-Term Prognosis Possible

The Behavioural Medicine Laboratory of the LSMU Neuroscience Institute, in collaboration with the Palanga Clinic, is conducting a study called “Weather Sensitivity Profile and the Effects of Walking in Nature on Psychophysiological Stress Response in Individuals With Coronary Artery Disease” (No. S-MIP-23-114).

In the study, which involved over a thousand patients, two quality-of-life questionnaires were used: the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire. The results were unexpected: patients reported better psychological well-being in summer, while in winter they experienced lower levels of pain and even reported a higher overall quality of life. Notably, these seasonal fluctuations persisted even after two years.

These findings highlight the importance of seasonality when assessing patients’ health status and may influence clinical decisions and the planning of rehabilitation programmes.

The impact of seasonality depends on how well a person can regulate their response to environmental stimuli, such as cold or heat. Since quality of life, pain, and physical condition are subjective aspects of health assessment, the researchers hypothesised that the seasonal differences observed in the study were more strongly linked to psychological and behavioural factors.

During winter, people are generally less physically active—likely due to lower temperatures and reduced sunlight. This may explain why some patients with coronary artery disease rated aspects of their quality of life more positively in winter, particularly those linked to physical functioning. When life becomes less physically demanding, the impact of the disease on daily activities may feel less pronounced.

Publication in a Prestigious Journal

The study was conducted by a team of researchers from the Behavioural Medicine Laboratory at LSMU’s Neuroscience Institute – Dr Nijolė Kažukauskienė, Dr Dalia Martinaitienė, and Dr Julius Burkauskas – in collaboration with academics from Portugal, Hungary, and North Macedonia: Prof. Francisco Sampaio, Prof. Zsolt Demetrovics, and Dr Biljana Gjoneska.

The joint work by the LSMU researchers and their colleagues from LSMU Portugal, Hungary, and North Macedonia has been published in the prestigious scientific journal Scientific Reports. The article, “The role of seasonality on evaluating health-related quality of life in patients with coronary artery disease”, explores a topic that has so far received limited attention—how seasonal variation affects the well-being and quality of life of individuals living with coronary artery disease.

The publication is available HERE.

As of 2021, coronary artery disease – alongside cerebrovascular disorders – accounts for one-third of deaths in developed countries.