Integration of Psychological Services With Preventive Cardiology Consults: A Feasibility Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Psychology
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Psychological distress negatively impacts cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors.
• Treating psychological distress may improve CVD outcomes.
• Short-term psychotherapy can be a feasible intervention within cardiovascular care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the utilization and impact of short-term psychotherapy in patients within a cardiovascular prevention program.
• To evaluate the effect of concurrent psychological services on CVD risk factors.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective feasibility study of patients in Women's Health or Preventive Cardiology programs (Jan 2019 - June 2022).
• Patients referred for psychology services based on potential benefit to CVD risk factor control.
• Biomarkers (blood pressure, LDL-C, HbA1c) measured pre- and post-therapy.

Main Results:

• 52.8% of referred patients attended ≥6 psychotherapy sessions.
• Hypertension (HTN) control improved: 50% above goal pre-therapy to 20.8% post-therapy.
• LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) improved: 55.5% achieved <100 mg/dL post-therapy.
• Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) improved: 12.5% lowered from ≥5.7% to <5.7% post-therapy.

Conclusions:

• Psychological services delivered concurrently with preventive cardiology show potential benefits.
• Integrating psychology services into cardiology care may reduce cardiovascular risk factor burden.
• Expanding access to mental health support in cardiology settings is a viable model for risk reduction.