Kristie Walenczyk, PhD
Assistant Professor of PsychiatryCards
About
Research
Publications
2026
Sex Differences in the Bidirectional Associations of Psychological Distress and Acute Coronary Syndrome
Magin Z, Walenczyk K, Gaffey A. Sex Differences in the Bidirectional Associations of Psychological Distress and Acute Coronary Syndrome. Cardiology Clinics 2026, 44: 147-157. PMID: 41903951, DOI: 10.1016/j.ccl.2025.11.006.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPsychological distressBidirectional associationsSex differencesDisproportionate burdenAcute coronary syndromeAssociation of psychological distressBurden of psychological distressLonger treatment delayDistressCoronary syndromeRisk factorsHigher mortality rateTreatment delayMortality rateWomenInvasive interventionsSexRiskInterventionDifferencesSyndrome
2025
Advance directives prior to COVID-19 diagnosis in a United States national healthcare system
Schwartz A, Tate J, Lehmann L, King J, Walenczyk K, Levin W, Feder S, Justice A, Akgün K. Advance directives prior to COVID-19 diagnosis in a United States national healthcare system. PLOS ONE 2025, 20: e0338825. PMID: 41417841, PMCID: PMC12716786, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0338825.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAD completionVeterans Health AdministrationAdvance directivesNational healthcare systemAssociated with AD completionHealthcare systemUnited States Veterans Health AdministrationCohort studyCalendar quarterElevated riskHealth care preferencesHealth care utilizationElectronic health recordsMortality index scoresHigh riskAD documentationCare preferencesNH whitesCare utilizationNH BlackHealth recordsHealth AdministrationMarital statusCOVID-19Hispanic groups
2024
Ecologically Assessed Sleep Duration and Arterial Stiffness in Healthy Men and Women
Gaffey A, Walenczyk K, Schwartz J, Hall M, Burg M. Ecologically Assessed Sleep Duration and Arterial Stiffness in Healthy Men and Women. Biopsychosocial Science And Medicine 2024, 86: 740-747. PMID: 39225340, PMCID: PMC11560491, DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001335.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSelf-reported sleep durationArterial stiffnessSleep durationAverage sleep durationActigraphy-assessed sleepAmbulatory arterial stiffness indexSex-specific associationsArterial stiffness indexAssessment of ASResting CaiHealth covariatesValid contextsSex-stratifiedQuadratic associationHealthy menCAIXAssess sleepExploratory analysisYoung adultsStiffness indexHealthy adultsSex-SpecificMultivariate regressionSleepAssociationFrom transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis diagnosis to tafamidis treatment: Association of drop-off with patient sociodemographic characteristics
Walenczyk K, Singh A, Tong K, Burg M, Miller E. From transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis diagnosis to tafamidis treatment: Association of drop-off with patient sociodemographic characteristics. American Journal Of Health-System Pharmacy 2024, 81: 1245-1251. PMID: 38963826, DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxae183.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPatient sociodemographic characteristicsATTR-CASociodemographic characteristicsSpecialty pharmacyPyrophosphate scintigraphyPopulation prevalence ratesEconomically disadvantaged areasTransthyretin cardiac amyloidosisBlack/African American raceReduce disparitiesPotential patient subgroupsPharmacy processesProportion of daysClinical pathwayCompare sociodemographicsDisadvantaged areasEquitable provisionTafamidis therapyCardiac amyloidosisTafamidis treatmentPrevalence ratesClinical programsAmerican racePatient subgroupsPosting manuscriptsExamining Outcomes in Patients Admitted With Comorbid Peripheral Artery Disease and Microvascular Disease
Grubman S, Algara M, Smolderen K, Luna P, Walenczyk K, Scierka L, Cleman J, Siddiqui W, Romain G, Mena‐Hurtado C. Examining Outcomes in Patients Admitted With Comorbid Peripheral Artery Disease and Microvascular Disease. Journal Of The American Heart Association 2024, 13: e030710. PMID: 38166496, PMCID: PMC10863818, DOI: 10.1161/jaha.123.030710.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPeripheral artery diseaseMajor adverse cardiac eventsAdverse cardiac eventsMicrovascular diseaseMinor amputationHospital mortalityCardiac eventsArtery diseaseNational Readmission DatabaseFurther prospective researchNumber of patientsCommon risk factorsMultiple logistic regressionMajor amputationBaseline factorsFinal cohortCox regressionAdverse outcomesPAD groupSecondary diagnosisRisk factorsAnnual admissionsObservational studyPrevalent conditionHigh risk
2023
Cardiovascular Effects of Long-Term Cannabis Use: More Questions Than Answers
Harris K. Cardiovascular Effects of Long-Term Cannabis Use: More Questions Than Answers. The American Journal Of Cardiology 2023, 206: 370-371. PMID: 37690937, DOI: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2023.08.086.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchThe Perceived Stress Scale as a Measure of Stress: Decomposing Score Variance in Longitudinal Behavioral Medicine Studies
Harris K, Gaffey A, Schwartz J, Krantz D, Burg M. The Perceived Stress Scale as a Measure of Stress: Decomposing Score Variance in Longitudinal Behavioral Medicine Studies. Annals Of Behavioral Medicine 2023, 57: 846-854. PMID: 37084792, PMCID: PMC10498818, DOI: 10.1093/abm/kaad015.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAdvance directive screening among veterans with incident heart failure: Comparisons among people aging with and without HIV
Walenczyk K, Cavanagh C, Skanderson M, Feder S, Soliman A, Justice A, Burg M, Akgün K. Advance directive screening among veterans with incident heart failure: Comparisons among people aging with and without HIV. Heart & Lung 2023, 61: 1-7. PMID: 37023581, PMCID: PMC10524135, DOI: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2023.03.018.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsIncident heart failureVeterans Aging Cohort StudyHeart failureAD screeningDisease severityCox proportional hazards regressionIncident HF diagnosisAging Cohort StudyProportional hazards regressionGreater disease severityAdvance directive completionAssociation of ADFuture quality improvementCare contactsCohort studyHF diagnosisHIV statusScreening ratesHazards regressionPoor prognosisDiagnosis codesCardiology subspecialtiesHaenszel testHealthcare encountersPWH
2022
Athletes and Nonathletes Show No Difference in Symptoms or Function Prior to Knee Surgery, but Those With Chronic Symptoms Show Increased Pain Catastrophizing and Kinesiophobia
DiBartola A, Magnussen R, Everhart J, Milliron E, Emery C, Schiele S, Harris K, Schmitt L, Flanigan D. Athletes and Nonathletes Show No Difference in Symptoms or Function Prior to Knee Surgery, but Those With Chronic Symptoms Show Increased Pain Catastrophizing and Kinesiophobia. Arthroscopy The Journal Of Arthroscopic And Related Surgery 2022, 39: 1028-1034. PMID: 36872027, DOI: 10.1016/j.arthro.2022.10.041.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAthlete statusCross-sectional analysisMcGill pain scorePain catastrophizingPsychological statusKnee pathologySymptom chronicityPatient Health Questionnaire 9Chronic symptomsGeneral Self-Efficacy ScaleEffect of athletic statusKnee surgeryProspective cohort study dataPain Catastrophizing ScaleMcGill Pain ScalePreoperative psychological statusLife Orientation Test-RevisedPerceived Stress ScalePreoperative knee functionSelf-Efficacy ScaleMarx Activity Rating Scale scoresNew General Self-Efficacy ScaleCohort study dataScale scoreKnee surgery patientsTelehealth care before and during COVID-19: trends and quality in a large health system
Luna P, Lee M, Greeno R, DeLucia N, London Y, Hoffman P, Burg M, Harris K, Spatz ES, Mena-Hurtado C, Smolderen KG. Telehealth care before and during COVID-19: trends and quality in a large health system. JAMIA Open 2022, 5: ooac079. PMID: 36204596, PMCID: PMC9531686, DOI: 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooac079.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTelehealth visitsQuality of careTelehealth useCOVID-19Cross-sectional observational studyHigher visit volumeCOVID-19 surgeLarge health systemSatisfaction surveyMost patientsPatient satisfactionObservational studyTelehealth carePatient's perspectiveVisit volumeHigh satisfaction ratingsPatient portalsPatient experiencePatientsCare deliveryHealth systemVisitsHigh satisfaction levelsCareGood technical quality
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