Does cognitive-behavioural stress management improve biological cardiovascular risk indicators in women with ischaemic heart disease : a randomized-controlled trial?
Even if our cognitive-behavioural stress management programme had effects on proximal targets, such as stress behaviour and vital exhaustion, we found no improvement in intermediate biochemical targets related to the metabolic syndrome and IHD. Our results challenge the proposition that the relationship between psychological well-being and biological cardiovascular risk indicators is a direct cause-effect phenomenon.
These results suggest that weight loss favorably affects lipoprotein metabolism and that the CRD had a better effect on atherogenic VLDL and HDL than the low fat diet recommended by AHA.