Kenneth E. Freedland, Ph.D.

DEPARTMENT OF Psychiatry
Keywords: coronary disease, depression, heart failure

My colleagues and I are working on several studies on the effects of depression on patients with heart disease. For example, we are investigating (1) adverse effects of depression on functioning, medical utilization, and prognosis in patients with CHF, (2) predictors and course of depression after acute myocardial infarction, and (3) mechanisms linking depression to adverse medical outcomes in CHD, such as cardiovascular autonomic dysregulation and pro-inflammatory processes.

We are conducting several studies to determine whether cognitive behavior therapy is effective in depressed cardiac patients, not only with respect to the depression, but also to other endpoints such as functional impairment and medical morbidity. One of these studies is an NIH-funded trial comparing CBT vs. stress management vs. usual care for depression after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Another is a trial of CBT for depression in outpatients with CHF. We are also planning a trial of omega-3 for depression in patients with stable coronary disease.