Atrial Septal Aneurysm and Anxiety: A Matched Cross-Sectional Study with Prospective Enrollment Exploring Clinical and Psychosomatic Associations

Background/Objectives: An isolated atrial septal aneurysm (ASA) represents a distinct structural anomaly defined by abnormal bulging of the interatrial tissue, affecting roughly three percent of the general public. Although routinely viewed as an accidental discovery during imaging, this condition carries recognized associations with adverse clinical events, notably cerebrovascular ischemia and rhythm disturbances. Because the interplay between cardiovascular diseases and psychological distress is well established, our primary goal was to determine if individuals harboring this septal anomaly display elevated symptoms of anxiety or depression relative to standard cardiology outpatients.

Methods

For this comparative cross-sectional investigation, we recruited a total of one hundred and twenty adults from a dedicated cardiology clinic. The cohort consisted of sixty individuals diagnosed with the septal anomaly and sixty healthy control subjects, carefully paired according to age and gender. Every participant received a comprehensive clinical baseline assessment, which included a 12-lead electrocardiogram alongside a detailed two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiogram. Psychological status was assessed using the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-1 for state anxiety and STAI-2 for trait anxiety) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).