Benzodiazepines are effective in treating anxiety in cardiovascular disease patients, helping to alleviate symptoms like chest pain and rapid heart rate.
Do benzodiazepines improve anxiety and related symptoms in patients with cardiovascular disease?
Benzodiazepines can effectively manage anxiety and panic in cardiovascular patients, but their use must be carefully balanced against risks of CNS depression, hypotension, and bradycardia.
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Anxiety disorders can be challenging to diagnose in patients with cardiovascular disease who often suffer from chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, rapid heart rate, and other symptoms that overlap with those of anxiety. Benzodiazepines (BZs) are efficacious for the treatment of anxiety; they reduce catecholamines, lower coronary and vascular pressures, and mitigate muscle spasms that often contribute to cardiac symptoms. BZs are efficacious in those with panic disorder and panic associated with arrythmias, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, dyspnea, or unrelenting anxiety that threatens treatment adherence. The short-term risks of BZs are primarily related to their central nervous system depressant effects, which contribute to falls and confusion, especially in older individuals. At higher doses, BZs can precipitate respiratory depression, hypotension, bradycardia, and atrioventricular block.
Rustad et al. (Thu,) reported a other. Benzodiazepines are effective in treating anxiety in cardiovascular disease patients, helping to alleviate symptoms like chest pain and rapid heart rate.