Much a Review About Nothing: A Comment on the Treatment of Anxiety in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease

Abstract

To the editor: The prevalence of anxiety disorders in coronary heart disease (CHD) is 10-23%. Approximately 50% of CHD patients with a depressive disorder also have an anxiety disorder. The high prevalence of anxiety disorders, irrespective of the risk for adverse cardiovascular prognosis, underscores the need to provide comprehensive anxiety treatment in patients with CHD. A recent paper in Psychosomatics (in this issue) attempts to systematically review randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on this important topic, however, there are numerous limitations to the review’s focus, validity, and utility to clinical practice.