Large-scale, controlled treatment studies of antilipidemic therapy hav
e yielded consistent evidence of reduction in cardiovascular morbidity
and mortality, but no reduction in total mortality. This counterhypot
hetical result appears to be due to a compensatory increase in cancer
and violent death with treatment. 'Violent death' includes suicides, h
omocides and accidents. The present study took advantage of a dataset
on 174 males undergoing coronary angiography which included presence/a
bsence of an antilipidemic medication regimen and multiple measures of
emotional distress/dysfunction to see if the two were associated. Sel
f-reported depression on the Ketterer Stress Symptom Frequency Checkli
st (KSSFC) was higher in these angiographic male patients if they were
on medical treatment for hypercholesterolemia than if they were not.
Comparisons across antilipidemic groupings of a number of potential co
nfounding/mediating variables revealed no systematic differences which
can account for these results. While only correlational in nature, pr
esent results are consistent with the hypothesis that antilipidemic dr
ug treatment induces emotional distress in males undergoing coronary a
ngiography.