Background: Our study set out to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and variables that influence its presence in patients hospitalized for heart failure. Depression is associated with a substantially increased risk of developing heart failure in individuals at risk, and has been related to adverse outcomes in patients with established heart failure. It is important to determine its prevalence in different populations and assess related causes.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 103 patients with heart failure, admitted to public hospital, via a questionnaire that evaluates clinical variables, socio-demographics and we applied the Beck Depression Inventory to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and predictors of their presence. We used the chi2, Student test and considered significant when < 0.05 and subjected to logistic regression analysis when between 0.05 and 0.1.
Results: The mean age of the patients in our study was 65.4 ± 13.6. Depressive symptoms were present in 69 (67%) patients: 35 (34%) had mild depressive symptoms, 22 (21.3%) had moderate symptoms and 12 (11.6%) patients presented severe symptoms. Marital status was significant when analyzed, and the predictors of depressive symptoms were marital status, sex, living arrangements and heart failure etiology.
Conclusions: Because depressive symptoms in patients hospitalized for heart failure are very common, it is important to detect these disorders. The prevalence of these varies according to socio-demographic and clinical data, and these factors should be taken into consideration when planning future studies, as well as screening and intervention programs for co-morbid depressive disorders in hospitalized patients with heart failure. (Cardiol J 2011; 18, 1: 18-25)