[Prevalence of depression and associated medical and psychosocial factors in elderly hospitalized patients with heart failure in Spain].
OBJECTIVE
This study provides an estimate of the prevalence of depression, and identifies associated medical and psychosocial factors, in elderly hospitalized patients with heart failure (HF) in Spain.


METHODS
The study included 433 patients aged 65 years or more who underwent emergency admission at four Spanish hospitals between January 2000 and June 2001 and who had a primary or secondary diagnosis of HF. Depression was defined as the presence of three or more symptoms on the 10-item Geriatric Depression Scale.


RESULTS
In total, 210 (48.5%) study participants presented with depression: 71 men (37.6%) and 139 women (57.0%). Depression was more common in patients with the following characteristics: NYHA functional class III-IV (adjusted odds ratio or aOR=2.00, 95% confidence interval or 95% CI, 1.23-3.24), poor score on the physical domain of the quality-of-life assessment (aOR=3.14; 95% CI, 1.98-4.99), being dependent for one or two basic activities of daily living (BADLs) (aOR=2.52; 95% CI, 1.41-4.51), being dependent for > or =3 BADLs (aOR=2.47; 95% CI, 1.20-5.07), being limited in at least one instrumental activity of daily living (aOR=2.20: 95% CI, 1.28-3.79), previous hospitalization for HF (aOR=1.71; 95% CI, 1.93-5.45), spending more than 2 hours/day alone at home (aOR=3.24; 95% CI, 1.93-5.45), and being dissatisfied with their primary care physician (aOR=1.90; 95% CI, 1.14-3.17).


CONCLUSIONS
Depression is very common in elderly hospitalized patients with HF and is associated with several medical and psychosocial factors. The high prevalence of depression, the poorer prognosis for HF in patients with depressive symptoms, and the existence of simple diagnostic tools and effective treatment argue in favor of systematic screening for depression in these patients.
Guallar-Castillón
Pilar
P
Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Facultad de de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, España.
Magariños-Losada
María Mar
MM
Montoto-Otero
Carmen
C
Tabuenca
Ana I
AI
Rodríguez-Pascual
Carlos
C
Olcoz-Chiva
Maite
M
Conde-Herrera
Manuel
M
Carreño
Concepción
C
Conthe
Pedro
P
Martínez-Morentín
Eduardo
E
Banegas
José R
JR
Rodríguez-Artalejo
Fernando
F
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology