Does psychological treatment of major depression reduce cardiac risk biomarkers? An exploratory randomized controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Depression is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Biological cardiac risk factors are already elevated in depressed patients without existing CVD. The purpose of this exploratory trial was to examine whether treating Major Depression (MD) with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is associated with improvements in cardiac risk biomarkers and whether depressive symptom severity at baseline moderates treatment effects.

Methods

Eighty antidepressant-free patients with MD were randomly assigned to CBT or waiting list (WL). Biological outcomes included long-term recordings (24-h, daytime, nighttime) of heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), and blood pressure, as well as inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin

SUBMITTER: Euteneuer F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10277774 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature