Escitalopram Found to Reduce Anxiety in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease

Escitalopram appears to be more effective than exercise at reducing anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease, astudy published today inJAMA Psychiatry has found.“To our knowledge, [this study] is the first randomized clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or aerobic exercise in the treatment of anxiety in patients with [coronary heart disease] and high levels of anxiety,” wrote James A. Blumenthal, Ph.D., of Duke University Medical Center and colleagues. “Escitalopram produced clinically meaningful reductions in anxiety, as well as significant reductions in depression.”Blumenthal and colleagues recruited men and women aged 40 years or older with coronary heart disease and anxiety symptoms (score of 8 or higher on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression-Anxiety Subscale, or HADS-A) and/or aDSM-5 primary diagnosis of an anxiety disorder for the trial. Patients were excluded if they had a primary psychiatric diagnosis other than an anxiety disorder, were currently receiving mental health treatment, and/or if they exercised regularly. A total of 128 participants were randomly assigned to aerobic exercise (three days a week), escitalopram (up to 20 mg a day), or a placebo pill for 12 weeks.The researchers evaluated the patients using the Structured Clinical Interview forDSM-5 Disorders and the 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale before and after the 12-week interventions. They also assessed the participants weekly using the...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: anxiety coronary heart disease depression escitalopram exercise JAMA Psychiatry Source Type: research