Psychiatric aspects of cardiac disorders

Abstract

A number of the aetiological factors associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) have psychogenic components, ie alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity, sex, sleep and heredity. Placebo‐controlled trials of anxiolytics in CHD and hypertension have yielded conflicting results. For the cardiac patient suffering from depression, the choice of an antidepressant drug is important in view of the potential cardiotoxicity of the tricyclic compounds. Stresses that produce anxiety in cardiac patients and others may be multiple and varied in nature. At the Stress Clinic at the Maudsley Hospital in London, stratified questionnaires are used to assess a number of different stress factors and the severities of these can then be compared by constructing a stress profile for each patient.