Several previous studies have shown that one in five cardiac patients suffers from depression, according to Robert M. Carney, Ph.D., and associates at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

During their study, reported in the July 1993 issue of The American lournal of Medicine, the researchers established a link between depression and ventricular tachycardia (VT), an abnormal and potentially lethal heart rhythm. In fact, they said, depressed patients with a history of heart disease are eight times more likely to develop the potential lethal heart rhythm than comparable, non-depressed individuals.

Unless a depressed patient is going to a practitioner of alternative medicine, they are likely to be prescribed a variety of antidepressants, such as diazepam (Valium), one of the most addictive drugs in the pharmacopoeia. As reported in The Tranquilvdng of America, during a 12-month period, 54,400 people sought emergency room treatment related to the use or overuse of Valium; there were 950 deaths attributed to Valium during this period.

Common side effects of Valium use include clumsiness, drowsiness, dizziness and light-headedness, according to Edward Edelson in The ABCs of Prescription Drugs. Less common side effects are blurred vision, confusion, depression, irritability, mouth or throat ulcers, slow heartbeat, jaundiced eyes or skin, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, urinary problems, etc. Valium should not be taken with alcohol, monoamine-oxidase (MAO) inhibitors and other drugs.

A homeopathic formula that has gained considerable attention in Europe as an anti-anxiety remedy is now available in American health food stores. It contains Cicuta virosa (4x), Asa foetida (3x), Ignatia (4x), Gaultheria (4x), Staphysagria (4x), Corydalis form. (3x), Sumbulus (3x), Valeriana officinalis (3x), Hyoscyamus (3x) and Avena sativa (lx), which are designed to relieve depression, anger, restlessness, etc.

A 30-day randomized trial in France involved 60 female patients, ages 20 to 60, who had been diagnosed with depression, postmenopausal decline and a depressed thymus gland, which impacts on the immune system. Results confirmed that the homeopathic remedy was as effective as Valium but without any side effects. In addition, the women on the homeopathic formula experienced a reduction in hot flashes, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, intestinal problems, frequent urination, pain during intercourse, and dizziness.

The researchers also determined that the homeopathic remedy increased the number of hours the women could sleep and there was a reduction in pulse rate. It did not increase the effects of alcohol, which was a consideration since 10 percent of the women were alcohol dependent.

Because of their effectiveness and lack of side effects, homeopathic remedies have been gaining popularity since they were introduced by Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a German physician who devised his "law of similars" based on the teachings of Hippocrates, Paracelsus and medical texts from many cultures in 1789.

Unfortunately, homeopathy was opposed by allopathic physicians from the start. This was especially true when Hans Gram, a Danish homeopath, introduced homeopathy to the United States in 1825, according to Dana Ullman in Discovering Homeopathy.

"One of the most important reasons that orthodox physicians and drug companies disliked homeopathy was that inherent in the homeopathic approach was a sharp critique of the use of conventional drugs," Ullman said. "Homeopaths were primarily critical of the suppressive nature of these drugs. They felt that the drugs simply masked the person's symptoms, creating deeper, more serious disease.

"Homeopaths also noted that this masking of symptoms made it more difficult for them ultimately to find the correct medicine, since the person's idiosyncratic symptoms are the primary guide to the individual selection of the medicine."