Aim. To study heart rate variability (HRV) according to 24-h Holter monitoring of ECG in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and to examine effects of tianeptine on HRV. Material and methods. Twenty eight patients with IHD (17 males and 11 females aged 40-70 years) with a verified IHD diagnosis and atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries participated in the trial. Severity of depressive syndrome was assessed by CES-D questionnaire. HRV was assessed by weighted mean variation of the rhythmogram (WMVR) for 24 hours. Results. Initial WMVR (m +/- sigma) in the study group (IHD with depression, n = 15) was 670 +/- 260 ms, in the control group (IHD without depression, n = 13) - 625 +/- 191 ms (the difference was insignificant (p = 0.72). Initial (m +/- sigma) WMVR in men of the study group (n = 6) before therapy was 460 +/- 139 ms that was less than in the control group (633 +/- 183 ms, n = 11). Conclusion. In men HRV depends on duration of the disease. There was a negative correlation between WMVR difference before and after treatment with tianeptine and difference of relevant depression indices with high correlation coefficient (-0.74, p = 0.03).