Conclusions We found that psychological intervention  improved psychological symptoms and reduced cardiac mortality for people with CHD .
However , there remains considerable uncertainty regarding the magnitude of these effects and the specific techniques most likely to benefit people with different presentations of CHD
Background Although psychological interventions are recommended for the management of coronary heart disease ( CHD ) , there remains considerable uncertainty regarding their effectiveness .
Women’s hearts need special treatment
Coronary heart disease ( CHD ) is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the Western world . Some studies show that the observed decline in cardiovascular mortality is not as pronounced among women as among men . There is a growing awareness that most earlier studies both on primary and secondary risk factors , diagnosis , prognosis , and rehabilitation have focused mainly on men . Thus , there is a need to develop knowledge about women with CHD and to address gender issues in treatment and rehabilitation strategies . Negative affect and emotions increase risk and may interfere with effective cardiac rehabilitation . Therefore , methods for coping with emotional stress need to be included in treatment regimens after a coronary event . The feasibility of a stress management program for women with CHD was assessed in a pilot study . The program consisted of twenty 2-hr group sessions during 1 year , with 5 to 9 participants per group . The pilot study showed that this treatment program had a low dropout rate and result ed in improvement in quality of life and reduction in stress and symptoms . Further work to optimize psychosocial interventions for women with CHD is needed
Conclusions We found that psychological intervention  improved psychological symptoms and reduced cardiac mortality for people with CHD .
However , there remains considerable uncertainty regarding the magnitude of these effects and the specific techniques most likely to benefit people with different presentations of CHD
Background Although psychological interventions are recommended for the management of coronary heart disease ( CHD ) , there remains considerable uncertainty regarding their effectiveness .