Key result
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction reduces anxiety symptoms by ~44% versus usual care.
Why the study?
Does an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program improve psychological symptoms and autonomic function in patients with coronary heart disease and comorbid bipolar disorder?
RCT (n=34)
null
1:1
No
Does an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program improve psychological symptoms and autonomic function in patients with coronary heart disease and comorbid bipolar disorder?
Effect estimate: null (95% CI 2.55-6.08)
Absolute Event Rate: 4.31% vs 7.69%
p-value: p=0.010
An 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program significantly improves anxiety and autonomic balance in patients with coronary heart disease and comorbid bipolar disorder.
Supports MBSR for anxiety in CHD with bipolar disorder; extends RCT evidence to this high-risk comorbid population.
Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) frequently co-occurs with mood disorders (MDs), yet the predictors of this comorbidity and effective interventions remain insufficiently studied.This two-phase study investigated (1) the clinical characteristics of mood disorders in CHD patients, and (2) the efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for CHD patients with bipolar disorder (BD).Methods: In this mixed-methods study, 390 CHD patients (diagnosed via coronary angiography/CTA) were screened for mood disorders using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD 7), followed by diagnostic confirmation (psychiatric evaluation using DSM-5 criteria).The observational phase compared CHD patients with (n=219) and without (n=171) mood disorders, while the interventional phase randomized 34 BD patients to receive either an 8week MBSR program (n=17) or treatment as usual (TAU; n=17).Outcome measures included psychological symptoms (HAMD/HAMA), autonomic function (HRV), and cardiac status (NYHA/CCS class).Results: Among screened patients, 56% (n=219) met criteria for a mood disorder (only depressive symptoms: n=22; unipolar depression: n=163; bipolar disorder: n=34).Group comparisons revealed a statistically significant difference in LF/HF ratio across mood disorder groups (P=0.037), with the BD cohort showing a higher mean ratio (2.03 0.38).Although cardiac function markers showed no group differences, MBSR significantly improved anxiety symptoms (HAMA: 4.31 vs. 7.69, p=0.010) and autonomic regulation (LF/HF ratio: 1.49 vs.1.82, p=0.002) compared to TAU.A greater proportion of MBSR participants showed improvement in NYHA class (100% vs 37.5%), though the between-group comparison was not statistically significant (p=0.075).Conclusion: Mood disorders are highly prevalent in CHD patients, with BD associated with distinct clinical features and autonomic dysfunction.MBSR is a promising intervention for improving psychological and autonomic outcomes in this comorbid population, supporting its integration into comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation programs.
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Wang et al. (2026) conducted an RCT in Coronary Heart Disease with Bipolar Disorder (n=34). Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction vs. treatment as usual was evaluated on Anxiety symptoms as measured by HAMA (null, 95% CI 2.55-6.08, p=0.010). Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction significantly reduced anxiety symptoms, with HAMA scores of 4.31 in the intervention group compared to 7.69 in the treatment as usual group (p=0.010).
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