Efficacy of spiritual care therapy in patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty: A randomized controlled clinical study

Background: Spiritual care therapy has been shown to improve the well-being in chronic diseases such as cancer or psychiatric illness. The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of spiritual care in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Methods: An open-label, clinical study randomizing patients undergoing PTCA to receive either standard of care alone or spiritual therapy with standard of care was carried out. Spiritual care therapy includes spiritual counseling and holy name chanting before angioplasty and holy name chanting over a period of 14-day postangioplasty. Clinical examination, functional assessment of cancer therapy-general well-being (FACT-G) and functional assessment of chronic illness therapy-spiritual well-being (FACIT-Sp), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were performed before the procedure, 24 h and 14 days after PTCA. Inferential statistics was used to assess the statistical significance of the outcome measures. Results: Significant reductions in the systolic blood pressures, FACT-G and FACIT-Sp were observed at both 24 h and 14 days following angioplasty in the spiritual care group but not in the control group that received standard of care. Significant reduction in the anxiety and depression scores of HADS in the spiritual care group was also observed as compared to control group at both the follow-up periods. Furthermore, a significant shorter length of hospital stay and lower levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein was observed in the spiritual group. Conclusion: Spiritual care therapy can be part of treatments regime among CAD patients undergoing PTCA as it improves general as well as spiritual well-being and reduces hospital anxiety