[Psychological health and cardiovascular disease : interdependency and therapeutic opportunities].

Despite progress in primary and secondary prevention, pharmacological and device-based therapies, cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The specifics of cardiac disorders being in the spotlight, less attention has been given to psychological health and its interdependent relation to cardiovascular disease. Psychological health issues can contribute to increase cardiovascular disease risk, and cardiovascular disease itself can promote development of mental health issues. Psychological health in patients with cardiovascular disease represents an underexplored opportunity for intervention, an endeavour that could be designed as behavioural cardiology, which would be synergistic with efforts aimed at primary and secondary prevention.