Comparison of cardiac rehabilitation programs combined with relaxation and meditation techniques on reduction of depression and anxiety of cardiovascular patients.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of death in developed countries. Most cardiac rehabilitation programs include psychological interventions. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of rehabilitation techniques in cardiac patients including psychological-physical interventions such as Meditation and Relaxation. We enrolled 45 patients with CVD and depression. The patients were allocated to 3 groups (Relaxation, Meditation and Control). There was a significant reduction on depression, systolic blood pressure and heart rate in the Meditation group compared with the control group. Our findings suggest that meditation techniques have better outcomes in cardiac patients for improving depression, reduction of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate than relaxation techniques.