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The Behavioral Treatment of the Symptoms of Ischemic Heart Disease

  • Chapter
Book cover Behavioral Treatment of Disease

Part of the book series: NATO Conference Series ((HF,volume 19))

Abstract

In this chapter I shall consider the behavioral treatment of two symptoms or correlates of ischemic heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias and angina pectoris. These symptoms can be disturbing, disabling or even life threatening, and effective behavioral treatments could aid, supplement, or in some instances replace existing medical and surgical treatments, and be expected to lead to significant improvements in the quality of life and life expectancy of many of the patients who suffer from ischemic heart disease. So far, attempts to treat these symptoms behaviorally have relied either on biofeedback or some form of relaxation training. While the rationale for the use of these techniques is obvious and appealing, they do not represent the full strength of the behavioral approach. Therefore, after reviewing the evidence for the efficacy of these techniques, I shall outline the developments that I consider to be most helpful in promoting a more comprehensive and imaginative behavioral approach to the treatment of the symptoms of ischemic heart disease.

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Reference Note

  1. Marie, G., Lo, C.R., Van Jones, J., & Johnston, D.W. The relationship between transit time and arterial blood pressure during dynamic and isometric exercise. Manuscript in preparation.

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  3. Lo, C.R., & Johnston, D.W. A comparison of the feedback of the product of interbeat interval and pulse transit time with relaxation training at rest and during dynamic exercise. Manuscript in preparation.

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  4. Marie, G., & Johnston, D.W. Pulse transit time during isometric exercise. Manuscript in preparation.

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  5. Johnston, D.W., & Lo, C.R. The effects of heart rate and blood pressure feedback on angina pectoris. Unpublished manuscript, 1979.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, England

    Derek W. Johnston

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  1. Derek W. Johnston
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA

    Richard S. Surwit  & Redford B. Williams Jr.  & 

  2. St. George’s Hospital Medical School, University of London, London, England

    Andrew Steptoe

  3. Naval Medical Research and Development Command, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Robert Biersner

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© 1982 Plenum Press, New York

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Johnston, D.W. (1982). The Behavioral Treatment of the Symptoms of Ischemic Heart Disease. In: Surwit, R.S., Williams, R.B., Steptoe, A., Biersner, R. (eds) Behavioral Treatment of Disease. NATO Conference Series, vol 19. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3548-1_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3548-1_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-3550-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-3548-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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