title: Effect of St. John's wort extract on depressive disorder in elderly patients with unstable angina.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The elderly patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) are often accompanied with depression. This study aimed to assess the effect of St. John's wort extract (SWE) on depressive disorder in elderly patients with unstable angina pectoris.
  
  
  METHODS
  Altogether 170 patients who met the set criteria were enrolled in this prospective study. They were randomly divided into SWE group (44 patients), Deanxit group (44), psychotherapy group (42), and control group (40). The effectiveness of SWE was evaluated by reduced percentage of Hamilton depression (HAMD) scale and reduced frequency of angina pectoris attack, which were measured before and at 12 weeks after the treatment with SWE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The reduced percentages of HAMD scale were 79.5%, 56.8% and 57.1% in the SWE, Deanxit and psychotherapy groups, respectively. Compared with the control, the three groups had significant differences in the percentages (P<0.001). The improvement after the treatment was more significant in the SWE group than in the Deanxit or psychotherapy group (P<0.05). The improvement of angina pectoris evaluated by the Canadian Cardiac Society Classification was significantly better in the treatment groups (88. 7%, 65. 9%, 57.1%) than in the control group, and it was marked in the SWE group (P<0.001). Angina pectoris attack, its frequencies, durations and electrocardiographic changes were significantly improved in the treatment groups than in the control group (F=6.05, 4.58, 5.12, P<0.01). They are markedly improved in the SWE group (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SWE can improve depressive symptoms more significantly in elderly patients with unstable angina pectoris than Deanxit or psychotherapy, proving that SWE contributes to better treatment of angina attack as well.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, the Second Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, the Second Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, China.
authors.forename: Zhao-Wei
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, the Second Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, China.
authors.forename: Li-Yu
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, the Second Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, China.
authors.forename: Li-Sha
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, the Second Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
keywords: Coronary heart disease; Depression; Elderly patients; Psychotherapy; St. John’s wort extract; Unstable angina pectoris