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Association of depression and survival in patients with chronic heart failure over 12 Years

Julie Adams1, Maragatha Kuchibhatla, Eric J Christopher

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.

Psychosomatics
|January 28, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Depression significantly reduces long-term survival in chronic heart failure (HF) patients, persisting for over 12 years. Increased depression severity further lowers survival rates in HF patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Psychiatry
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Previous studies show depression impacts heart failure (HF) patient survival up to 7 years.
  • The long-term effects of depression on HF survival remain largely unknown.
  • Understanding this relationship is crucial for comprehensive patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between depression and survival in chronic heart failure (HF) patients.
  • To analyze the impact of depression over an extended 12-year follow-up period.
  • To determine if depression's effect on survival persists long-term.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective observational study included adult HF patients admitted to Duke University Medical Center.
  • The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scale assessed depression levels.
  • Cox proportional hazards modeling analyzed the association between depression and mortality using National Death Index data.

Main Results:

  • Over a mean follow-up of approximately 5 years, 80% of HF patients with depression (BDI > 10) died, compared to 73% without.
  • Depression was significantly linked to decreased survival (HR 1.35, 95% CI 1.15-1.57), independent of other risk factors.
  • Higher depression severity correlated with lower survival rates (HR 1.02 per BDI point, P = 0.001).

Conclusions:

  • Comorbid depression during hospitalization significantly increases mortality risk in HF patients, with effects lasting over 12 years.
  • Findings highlight the persistent and strong impact of depression on HF patient outcomes.
  • Further research is needed to understand depression's trajectory, underlying mechanisms, and effective management strategies in HF.
Abstract

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