Benzodiazepines: A valuable tool in the management of cardiovascular conditions

The relationship between anxiety and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been known and well-documented for decades. Though more attention has been paid to the relationship between depression and CVD, the evidence of the relationship between anxiety and CVD has been growing. For instance, Goodwin et al. (2009) documented that anxiety disorders are strongly and significantly associated with CVD among adults in the USA. Frasure-Smith and Lesperance (2008), among others, found that, not just depression but also anxiety predicted a greater risk of major adverse cardiac events such as cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or cardiac arrest in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Less attention has been paid to the possible benefits of anxiolytic medications, such as benzodiazepines (BZs), for patients with CVD and anxiety or possible full-blown anxiety disorder.