BACKGROUND: Patients with ischemic heart disease often exhibit various psychological factors
that increase the risk of future cardiovascular events. Therefore, in addition to rehabilitation
programs, there is a need for more interventional psychotherapy. Bioenergy Economy-based
Health Improvement (BEHI) is a mind-body intervention that may address these issues. This
study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the BEHI program on laboratory, clinical, and
psychological factors in post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients.

METHODS: In this study, 52 post-MI patients were randomly divided into two groups. One
group received cardiac rehabilitation combined with the BEHI program, while the other group
received only cardiac rehabilitation. Laboratory data, clinical characteristics, and psychological
variables were evaluated at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and four months postintervention (follow-up).

RESULTS: Among the participants, the mean age was 59.97 ± 6.32 years, and 98.07% were male.
The results showed a significant improvement in the mean scores of metabolic equivalents
(METs), depression, and anxiety in participants who received the BEHI program and the
rehabilitation program (p values: 0.006, 0.038, and 0.028, respectively).

CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that incorporating mind-body interventions like the
BEHI program into cardiac rehabilitation can enhance physical and psychological outcomes
for patients recovering from MI.

Keywords: Ischemic Heart Disease; Mind-Body intervention; Bioenergy Economy-based
Health Improvement; Psychocardiology; Metabolic Equivalents; Anxiety; Depression