The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a psychosocial intervention approach aimed at resolving psychological conflicts could reduce the severity of risk factors for post-acute myocardial infarction patients. Twenty-three patients with a recent myocardial infarction participated in a group psychosocial intervention program which lasted 1 year. Twenty other patients with recent myocardial infarction served as controls. Patients form both groups had regular clinical and laboratory follow-up as well as medication. Mean values for seven risk factors of coronary heart disease (smoking, S; body weight, W; serum cholesterol, C; triglycerides, T; systolic and diastolic blood pressure, SBP, DBP; serum uric acid, U) were compared between the two groups in the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 12th months of the follow-up. The maximal mean improvements of the study versus the control group were as follows: W -2.82 versus -1.05 kg; C -56.04 versus -6.25 mg/dl; T -20.61 versus -2.4 mg/dl; U -0.57 versus -0.9 mg/dl; S at 1 year -55.5 versus -10%. It is concluded that group psychosocial intervention with post-acute myocardial infarction patients considerably reduces some coronary-disease risk factors.

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