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Infection, depression, and immunity in women after coronary artery bypass: a pilot study of cognitive behavioral

Lynn V Doering1, Rebecca Cross, Donna Vredevoe

  • 1University of California, Los Angeles School of Nursing, USA.

Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
|May 23, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Post-coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) depression is linked to increased infection and inflammation. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) significantly improved immunity and reduced infection rates in depressed women after CABG surgery.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Surgery
  • Psychoneuroimmunology
  • Infectious Disease

Background:

  • Depression is a common complication following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
  • The impact of post-CABG depression on inflammation and infection risk is not well understood.
  • Effective treatments for post-CABG depression and its associated complications require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between post-CABG depression and increased infectious illness.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in treating depressive symptoms.
  • To assess the effects of CBT on inflammatory biomarkers and post-CABG infections in women.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized, controlled trial was conducted at two urban tertiary care centers.
  • Participants included 15 clinically depressed women and 37 non-depressed women within one month post-CABG.
  • Intervention involved eight weeks of individual home-based CBT, with outcomes measured by depressive symptoms, natural killer cell cytotoxicity (NKCC), infectious illness episodes, IL-6, and CRP.

Main Results:

  • Depressed post-CABG women showed reduced NKCC and higher rates of fever and infection.
  • CBT intervention in depressed women led to significant improvements in NKCC (D=0.67).
  • CBT demonstrated moderate to large effects in reducing IL-6 (D=0.61), CRP (D=0.85), and postoperative infections (D=0.93).

Conclusions:

  • Post-CABG depression is associated with impaired immune function and increased infection risk.
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) shows promise as an effective treatment for post-CABG depression.
  • CBT may improve immune function, reduce inflammation, and decrease infection rates in patients after CABG surgery.
Abstract

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