Psychocardiology deals with the connection between heart disease and mental health. Heart disease can trigger psychological problems, such as panic attacks or depression. Conversely, depression and stress can also cause heart disease. Psycho-cardiologists deal specifically with these patients and treat them with an individually tailored therapy concept.
You can find all the important information and qualified specialists in psychocardiology here.
Psychocardiology is a specialized field of human medicine. Psychocardiologists deal with the connection between heart disease and mental health.
Psychocardiology studies show that heart disease can be accompanied by psychological problems such as
can be triggered.
Conversely, depression and anxiety can also increase the risk of developing heart disease.
The inpatient psychocardiology treatment developed within the framework of psychocardiology consists of
together.
It has long been known that there is a connection between heart disease and mental health. Science has also been studying this for several decades. This gave rise to the field of psychocardiology.
Psychocardiology shows that mental health can be influenced by
on the heart.
Chronic stress can lead to disturbances in the autonomic nervous system. This can lead to disturbances in the regulation of
can develop. There is an increased tendency for blood clotting with the risk of clot formation, e.g. in the coronary arteries. Such a narrowing of blood vessels can have serious health consequences. Stress-related hormonal imbalances and inflammatory processes can promote this.
Stress can contribute to the development of narrowing of the coronary arteries in the long term. Acutely it can
can be triggered. This can be caused, for example, by a rise in blood pressure due to acute stress or anger.
Depressed people have a particularly high cardiovascular risk. According to the findings of numerous studies, depression increases the risk of a heart attack as much as smoking. Even mild depressive symptoms lead to a measurable increase in risk, similar to passive smoking.
Conversely, heart disease increases the risk of developing depression. For many patients and their relatives, depression is a considerable burden. In addition to depression, anxiety disorders or psychosomatic complaints can also occur as a result of heart disease.
Depression can have a negative impact on the heart © Kittiphan | AdobeStock
After a heart attack or a serious cardiac arrhythmia, many patients live in constant worry. They are afraid that such an event could occur again. For the first time, they notice harmless extra beats, as they also occur in most healthy people, and classify them as threatening.
Everyday discomfort in the chest area can also be misinterpreted as a harbinger of a heart attack. This leads to severe anxiety, which can escalate into panic. This in turn speeds up the heartbeat, creating a vicious circle of anxiety and palpitations.
These symptoms often lead to a more severe impairment of everyday life than the actual heart damage. Repeated medical examinations without any conclusive results frustrate patients.
For some patients, this leads to premature disability. This is unfortunate because the person affected would still be physically capable of doing their job.
For some patients, heart disease represents a particular psychological trauma. This was particularly evident in patients after
has been observed.
The accompanying psychological problems affect the overall quality of life of many heart patients. However, their ability to implement medically advised lifestyle changes is also reduced.
Those who are already discouraged find it particularly difficult,
Depressed or anxious patients also find it difficult to take the necessary heart medication regularly. Fears of side effects make them even more likely to occur, so that effective medication is discontinued.
Depressive hopelessness impairs the willingness to take medication regularly in order to avoid complications of the heart disease in a future that already seems less worth living. This is particularly true if the side effects in turn further reduce the enjoyment of life.
Sexual dysfunction is also a common problem. These are often the result of circulatory disorders or concomitant heart disease. At least half of heart patients suffer from this.
Both partners are also often unsure whether sexuality may be too strenuous with heart disease. In most cases, however, this is not the case. Out of shame, patients also avoid this topic with their doctor and the doctor himself does not address it. So there can be no help.
If a medication (or the fear of its side effects) then brings the love life to a complete standstill, the only option seems to be to stop taking it.
Heart disease can often be treated successfully. However, the unfavorable effects of anxiety, depression and trauma-related disorders often exacerbate the disease or its treatment. Many patients are unable to cope with their illness psychologically and stand in their own way during treatment.
The majority of cardiology guidelines therefore call for the systematic identification and treatment of mental disorders in patients with heart disease.
Various treatment options are available for
are available:
The first step is a confidential discussion with the family doctor or cardiologist. As part of basic psychosomatic care, they can provide assistance in coping with the illness.
It is important here
In most cases, regular moderate physical endurance exercise is also helpful. It strengthens both the cardiovascular system and self-confidence. However, the activity must be enjoyable for the patient so that it can become a daily habit.
Antidepressant medication can also be used to support patients with severe depression or anxiety disorders. However, many antidepressants - including newer ones - can cause cardiac dysfunction and other side effects. Undesirable interactions can also occur, e.g. an increased tendency to bleed. Unfortunately, antidepressants and heart medication often do not get along well when taken at the same time.
Taking antidepressants is nevertheless advisable in many cases. However, it requires careful selection of the active ingredient by a doctor with psychocardiological expertise. Regular laboratory and ECG checks are also useful in this respect.
Anxiety disorders and depression can be treated very effectively with psychotherapy.
Most psychotherapies do not initially take into account the special problems of heart patients. However, many psychotherapists have become more qualified to treat heart patients in recent years.
Psychotherapies specially developed for heart patients have been tested with good results in recent years. In addition to the psychological burden and quality of life, they may even have a positive influence on the physical course of the disease.
However, such services only exist at a few specialized centers so far.
Some patients cannot be treated on an outpatient basis due to the severity of their heart disease and/or the accompanying mental illness. Individual clinics offer inpatient psychocardiology treatment for such patients.
So far, however, this has mainly applied to the field of rehabilitation. Some rehabilitation clinics offer more comprehensive psychocardiological treatment concepts.
In psychocardiology treatment, which usually lasts 4 to 6 weeks, the following specialists work together
as a team with the patients. The offer includes
Intensive psychosomatic diagnostics and treatment are also provided. This includes
In addition, each patient receives physical therapy treatment to
If required
are used.
Inpatient psychocardiological treatment is particularly suitable for patients with
