Journal of psychosomatic research
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In this study we evaluate gender differences in affective adaptation and health perception in patients 6 months after stent implantation. ⋯ Contrary to expectation, women were not per se more distressed than men in all areas of adaptation of the midterm course after stent implantation, although the higher levels of anxiety and sleeping disorders in women deserve attention. A considerable proportion of patients exhibited a pessimistic disease perspective independent of their somatic status, which was associated with affective morbidity. The tendency toward more negative health perception in women may be due to their more frequent occurrence of chest pain and sleeping disorders.