| Abstract: | AIM: To study effects of depression on the course and prognosis of arterial hypertension (AH) and coronary heart disease (CHD), potentialities of the combined treatment in a prospective multicenter trial. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 376 patients with AH and/or CHD having depression (10 scores and higher by HADS scale) were assigned to two groups: 189 (50.3%) patients received somatotropic therapy+coaxil (the study group), 187 (49.7%) patients received somatotropic therapy alone (the comparison group). Coaxil was given for 6 weeks in a dose of 37.5 mg/day, to patients over 70 years--25 mg/day. The effects were assessed by changes in HADS, CGI scale, blood pressure, heart rate; by tolerance and side effects (objective effects); complaints, well- being, stress, tolerance (subjective effects). RESULTS: The addition of coaxil to somatotropic therapy of patients with AH and/or CHD associated with depression led to improvement of the psychological status (a 36% decrease by HADS depression scale from 13.1 +/- 2.75 to 8.43 +/- 3.64, -delta4.76, p < 0.0001; by HADS anxiety scale--by 35.6% from 12.08 +/- 3.90 to 7.78 +/- 3.63, -delta4.31, p < 0.0001; by response to psychoemotional stress--by 23% from 6.65 +/- 1.94 to 4.77 +/- 1.85, -delta1.88, p < 0.05). Control patients also showed a positive trend in the above indices (a decrease in the above indices from 13.15 +/- 2.65 to 11.79 +/- 3.31, from 11.50 +/- 3.66 to 10.12 +/- 3.95, from 6.63 +/- 1.99 to 6.03 +/- 2.07, p < 0.05, respectively) but positive changes were much weaker than in the coaxil group (p < 0.001). To the end of the treatment, patients of the study group had less number of complaints, more patients achieved the target level of arterial pressure under 140/90 mm Hz (43.9 versus 29.9% in the control group; p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: Standard somatotropic treatment of AH patients with CHD and depression is not sufficiently effective. Combination of such treatment with antidepressive therapy (coaxil) significantly improves psychological status, and efficacy of therapy of basic cardiological diseases. |
