Depression in Heart Failure Patients Hits Men Hardest

Depression and reports of having poor quality of life are more likely

in male heart failure patients than in women or men without heart

failure, according to research presented at the American Heart

Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions

2012.

While depression in the general population is more frequent and severe

in women, and in heart failure (HF) patients versus patients without

HF, the emotional impact on men with HF has not been well studied,

especially how depression affects their perceived quality of life.

The researchers screened more than 3,300 patients who were referred to

their medical center for cardiovascular assessment over a one-year

period. In addition to scoring responses to a standardized depression

test, they also administered a quality-of-life questionnaire. They then

examined the scores by gender and diagnosis of HF.

In general, minor and major depression were more frequent in women than

in men (14 percent vs. 8.9 percent), and in HF patients (22 percent

versus 9.6 percent). Quality-of-life scores were also lower in women

and in HF patients. However, the difference in depression and quality

of life scores was more than double for men with HF, compared to all

patients. Women with HF also had higher scores than their non-HF

counterparts, but the difference was significantly less.

Author disclosures and funding information are on the abstracts.

Statements and conclusions of study authors presented at American Heart

Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors

and do not necessarily reflect the association's policy or position.

The association makes no representation or guarantee as to their

accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily

from individuals; foundations and corporations (including

pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make

donations and fund specific association programs and events. The

association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from

influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and

device corporations are available at www.heart.org/corporatefunding.