Effects of Exercise Therapy on Anxiety and Depression in Patients
With Coronary Heart Disease: A Meta-Analysis of a
Randomized Controlled Study
A systematic review of papers published between January 2000 and February 2021 was conducted to evaluate the effect of exercise therapy on anxiety and depression symptoms in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). An analysis of 11 randomized clinical studies was conducted including 771 subjects. Compared with the control group, the exercise group showed a significant improvement in anxiety, the depression level in the exercise group was significantly reduced and aerobic fitness and athletic endurance improved.
This meta-analysis suggests that exercise therapy may be effective in alleviating anxiety and depression symptoms in patients with coronary heart disease. Due to methodological weaknesses, rigorous research needs to be designed to further confirm the effectiveness of exercise therapy in improving the mental health of patients with coronary heart disease. Partial or complete blockage of the coronary artery due to atherosclerosis, which leads to myocardial ischemia, hypoxia or necrosis, is called coronary heart disease (CHD) together with coronary spasm, and it is one of the main causes of death and life reduction worldwide (1). Depression and anxiety are recognized as social and psychological risk factors for coronary heart disease (2); ~15–20% of patients with coronary heart disease suffer from depression, resulting in increased mortality and decreased quality of life (3). The prevalence of anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease is ~15%, and a meta-analysis by Roest et al. has suggested that post-myocardial infarction anxiety increases the risk of adverse cardiac outcomes by 36% (4, 5).
For patients with coronary heart disease combined with anxiety and depression, exercise may be a promising, flexible and easy-to-implement treatment option. Exercise can reduce anxiety and depression in patients without coronary heart disease as well as improve cardiac prognosis. In recent years, studies have shown that inspiratory muscle training can significantly improve anxiety symptoms after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). For complete study details, see:
