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. 2016 Nov;2(2):110-112.
doi: 10.15420/cfr.2016:21:1.

Expert Opinion-Depression in Patients with Heart Failure: Is Enough Being Done?

Amam Mbakwem  1 , Francis Aina  1 , Casmir Amadi  1
Affiliations

Expert Opinion-Depression in Patients with Heart Failure: Is Enough Being Done?

Amam Mbakwem et al. Card Fail Rev. 2016 Nov.

Abstract

Depression is a major issue in heart failure (HF). Depression is present in about one in five HF patients, with about 48 % of these individuals having significant depression. There is a wide variation in reported prevalences because of differences in the cohorts studied and methodologies. There are shared pathophysiological mechanisms between HF and depression. The adverse effects of depression on the outcomes in HF include reduced quality of life, reduced healthcare use, rehospitalisation and increased mortality. Results from metaanalysis suggest a twofold increase in mortality in HF patients with compared to those without depression. Pharmacological management of depression in HF has not been shown to improve major outcomes. No demonstrable benefits over cognitive behavioural therapy and psychotherapy have been demonstrated.

Keywords: Depression; heart failure; management; outcomes; prevalence.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:. Prevalence of Depression in Heart Failure Patients and 95 % Confidence Intervals from 27 Studies
Figure 2:
Figure 2:. All-cause Mortality in Heart Failure Patients by Severity of Depression
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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