Effects of Light-Therapy in Seasonal Affective Disorder – Implications for Treatment of Patients with Cardiovascular Disease

Journal of Clinical and Basic Cardiology 2004; 7 (1-4): 5-7

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Keywords: Depression,  Kardiologie,  KHK,  Koronare Herzkrankheit,  Mortalitätsrisiko,  SAD,  cardiology,  Depression,  light therapy,  mortality risk,  winter depression

Several well-designed studies have given proof, that depression is linked to an excess of cardiovascular deaths. In coronary heart disease patient populations, prospective studies suggest a prognostic role for depressive disorder. The mechanisms involved in the association between depression and cardiac death are unknown, however an increased susceptibility of arrhythmias and a propensity for platelet aggregation are suspected. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD, fall-winter-depression) is a form of recurrent depressive or bipolar disorder, which is frequent in the population but surprisingly poorly recognized. Light-therapy has been proven to be a most efficacious and well-tolerated treatment for patients suffering from fall-winter-depression. In order to provide optimal care for patients with cardiac illness and to improve their prognosis, psychiatric comorbidity has to be diagnosed and vigorously treated. This review outlines the clinical features of SAD and provides guidelines for treatment.