Preventive Activities and Health Promotion Network) (G06/128).

The objective of the study was to identify clinical characteristics that enable non-cardiac chest pain to be differentiated from coronary artery disease. An observational case-control study was carried out in 40 patients with non-cardiac chest pain and a control group of 40 patients with coronary artery disease. Sociodemographic, medical, and psychological variables were assessed. There was no difference in personality except in “emotional control, ” which was less in patients with non-cardiac chest pain. These patients had greater alexithymia and more frequently used coping strategies, such as religion and seeking medical help. Multivariate analysis showed that a predictive model comprising four variables (ie, alexithymia, quality of life, and coping based on religion and seeking medical help) had a sensitivit