Blumenthal JA, Smith PJ, Jiang W, et al. - Patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) commonly suffer from anxiety, which adversely affects their health outcomes. Researchers aimed to determine if aerobic exercise and escitalopram could aid in lowering anxiety and improving CHD biomarkers more when compared with a placebo.

• A randomized clinical trial including 128 patients with stable CHD and a diagnosed anxiety disorder or a Hospital Anxiety and Depression-Anxiety Subscale (HADS-A) score of 8 or higher.

• Patients were randomized to 12 weeks of aerobic exercise 3 times per week at an intensity of 70% to 85% heart rate reserve, escitalopram (up to 20 mg per day), or placebo pill equivalent.

• Reduced levels of anxiety and depression were observed in correlation with receiving escitalopram, but not with exercise, when compared with a placebo control.

• Overall, escitalopram was suggested as effective in reducing anxiety, although uncertainty remains concerning the extent to which this benefit may improve clinical outcomes.