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Objective: Our study focuses on the role of psychological states in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and explores the potential of positive psychological factors in reducing CVD risk. While existing research has predominantly examined negative mental states and risk behavior, this longitudinal study takes a novel approach by investigating positive psychological wellbeing and its impact on sustained health behavior., Method: The research involved participants ( n = 502) with medium to high cardiovascular risk who underwent a comprehensive risk assessment in 2012, followed by written risk communication. Health behavior and psychological variables were measured in 2012 and 2019. A cross-lagged panel was employed to repeat measures of a cardiovascular health index with latent factors., Results: Results indicated an excellent fit for the model (RMSEA = 0.0644, CFI = 0.936, TLI = 0.921, SRMR = 0.050), with significant associations between the observed variables ( p < 0.05) and created latent factors. Furthermore, the model implied significant bivariate correlations ( p < 0.05) between latent constructs of sustained health behavior and positive psychological states in 2012 and 2019. A significant regression relationship between Health Awareness Index 2012 and 2019, between Psychological wellbeing in 2012 and 2019 (B = 1.103 p = 0.038), latent factors could be identified (B = 1.103 p = 0.038) using cross-lagged panel model. Results highlighted the importance of cardiovascular health awareness, subjective risk perception, and self-directed efforts in facilitating health behavior change., Conclusion: Relationships between psychological wellbeing and health awareness emphasize that positive experiences and reinforcement are crucial in sustaining optimal health behavior. Our findings offer a new perspective on cardiovascular risk screening and preventive interventions. Extending cardiovascular risk screening with psychological measures may broaden prevention opportunities by including psychological elements reinforcing positive psychological states. The findings suggest that an effective prevention program must consider stabilizing and maintaining positive psychological states to achieve lasting improvements in cardiovascular health., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Ocsovszky, Ehrenberger, Berenyi, Assabiny, Otohal, Martos, Papp-Zipernovszky, Hegedus, Merkely, Csabai and Bagyura.)

This study assessed the experiences of elite aquatic athletes with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the first World Championship conducted without social distancing and an isolation "bubble". An online questionnaire was completed by 812 athletes (22.7 ± 5.9 years, 467 females) to provide data on demographics, sports activity, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection rates, symptoms, reinfection, vaccination status, and psychological aspects. The answers revealed that 49.4% of athletes had experienced SARS-CoV-2 infection. The infection rates varied significantly across different aquatic sports, with open water swimmers having the lowest (28%) and water polo players (67%) and artistic swimmers (61%) having the highest infection rates (p < 0.0001). The majority reported mild (51%) or moderate (27%) symptoms, while 16% remained asymptomatic. Reinfection occurred in 13%, and 10% of initial infections led to long COVID, with fatigue (65%) and shortness of breath (48%) being the most common long-term symptoms. Significantly, 92% of athletes received at least two vaccine doses and reported a positive vaccination experience (median score of 8 out of 10 for each shot). Mood changes and subjective performance drops significantly correlated with the overall experience scores (rho: 0.617, p < 0.0001, and rho: 0.466, p < 0.0001, respectively). In conclusion, most athletes experienced a benign disease course despite a relatively high infection rate. This study provides valuable insights into the COVID-19 experiences of elite aquatic athletes. The findings emphasize the importance of vaccination initiatives, monitoring psychological well-being and the need to fortify athletes' resilience in the face of future health challenges., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Objective: The effects of COVID-19, especially long-COVID, on the psychological health is incompletely understood. We aimed to evaluate the mid-term associations of the long-COVID symptoms and affective factors in a cohort of non-hospitalized patients., Method: A total of 166 patients were enrolled in this study, including 119 sedentary/non-athlete and 47 athlete subjects at the Post-COVID Outpatient Clinic of Semmelweis University. Clinical data regarding acute and long-term symptoms were obtained and detailed laboratory testing was carried out. Demographic data and psychological tests were collected., Results: We found a positive association between the level of depressive symptoms and anxiety and long-COVID symptom count, while life satisfaction and social support correlated negatively with the long-COVID symptom count. Higher haemoglobin levels and lower LDL-cholesterol were also shown to be moderating factors. A regression model showed that symptoms during acute infection, depression, age, and life satisfaction are predictors of the long-COVID symptom count. The presence of pre-existing affective or anxiety problems was also associated with higher reported long-COVID symptom count. Furthermore, we found significant association between pre-existing mental health problems and the investigated psychological constructs., Conclusion: It appears that long COVID-19 is associated with acute symptoms and mental factors. Depression and anxiety have been shown to have a negative effect on symptom perception, and also contribute to a higher number of symptoms in a non-hospitalized sample. Our study suggests bi-directional interconnection between clinical and psychological factors.

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the differences in ADHD symptomatology between healthy controls and children who underwent cardiac surgery at different ages., Methods: Altogether, 133 children (54 patients with congenital heart disease undergoing first cardiac surgery under 3 years of age, 26 operated at the age of 3 or later, and 53 healthy controls) were examined. Patients completed the Youth Self Report (YSR), while their parents completed the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and the ADHD Rating Scale-IV., Results: Children receiving surgery for the first time under the age of 3 years were more likely diagnosed with cyanotic type malformation and have undergone to a greater number of operations. However, ADHD symptoms of those treated surgically at or above 3 years of age were more severe than that of the control group or those who were treated surgically at a younger age. The control group and those treated surgically below the age of three did not differ across any of the ADHD symptom severity indicators., Conclusions: The age at the time of cardiac surgery might be associated with later ADHD symptom severity - with lower age at operation associated with better outcomes. Further, adequately powered studies are needed to confirm these exploratory findings and investigate the moderators of this relationship.

Objectives: Reliable and valid assessment of subjective risk perception is a crucial part of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and rehabilitation. Since the recently developed Attitudes and Beliefs about Cardiovascular Disease (ABCD) Risk Questionnaire complies with these requirements, the aim of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Hungarian version of the measure., Design and Setting: Community-based cross-sectional observational study PARTICIPANTS: In sum, 410 (M=49.53 years, SD=8.09) Hungarian adults (inclusion criteria: aged 35 and above, not under treatment with a psychiatric disorder) were included in the present study (female: n=277, 67.6%; college or university-level education: n=247, 60.2%)., Methods: We translated the ABCD Risk Questionnaire into Hungarian and checked its psychometric properties and validity indices., Primary Outcome Measures: Internal consistency, explorative and confirmative factorial validity. Associations with sociodemographic and health-related characteristics, as well as with measures of mental health (depressive symptoms, perceived stress and well-being)., Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a three-factor solution, corresponding to the original subscales of Risk Perception, Perceived Benefits and Healthy Eating Intentions, with a moderate correlation between the latent constructs. The respondents' level of knowledge on CVD risk factors was largely independent of their subjective risk perception. The results also provided evidence on the weak-to-medium associations between mental health indices and CVD-related perceptions. Based on the results, a shortened scale version was also suggested., Conclusion: This study confirms the factorial structure, internal consistency and validity of the Hungarian version of the ABCD Risk Questionnaire in a non-English-speaking community sample. The ABCD Risk Perception Questionnaire is a parsimonious and psychometrically adequate measure to assess CVD-related attitudes and knowledge in the general population. Further research is needed in socioeconomically more diverse and in clinical samples, as well as in longitudinal intervention studies., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)