Effects of group psychosocial intervention on coronary risk factors

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a psychosocial intervention approach aimed at resolving psychological conflicts could reduce the severity of risk factors for post-acute myocardial infarction patients. Twenty-three patients with a recent myocardial infarction participated in a group psychosocial intervention program which lasted 1 year. Twenty other patients with recent myocardial infarction served as controls. Patients form both groups had regular clinical and laboratory follow-up as well as medication. Mean values for seven risk factors of coronary heart disease (smoking, S; body weight, W; serum cholesterol, C; triglycerides, T; systolic and diastolic blood pressure, SBP, DBP; serum uric acid, U) were compared between the two groups in the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 12th months of the follow-up. The maximal mean improvements of the study versus the control group were as follows: W: -2.82 vs. -1.05 kg; C: -56.04 vs. -6.25 mg/dl; T: -20.61 vs. -2.4 mg/dl; U: -0.57 vs. -0.9 mg/dl; S at 1 year -55.5 vs. -10%. It is concluded that group psychosocial intervention with post-acute myocardial infarction patients considerably reduces some coronary-disease risk factors.