Symptoms of fatigue in chronic heart failure patients: clinical and psychological predictors.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the role of clinical and psychological characteristics as predictors of fatigue in CHF.


BACKGROUND
Little is known about predictors of fatigue in CHF. Next to heart failure characteristics, depressive symptoms and type-D personality may explain individual differences in fatigue.


METHODS
At baseline, 136 CHF outpatients (age<or=80 years) completed a questionnaire to assess depressive symptoms, type-D personality and cardiac symptoms. At one-year follow-up, they completed the Dutch Exertion Fatigue Scale and the Fatigue Assessment Scale to assess symptoms of fatigue. Medical information was obtained from the patients' medical records.


RESULTS
Exertion fatigue and general fatigue were identified as different manifestations of fatigue. We found that exertion fatigue at 12-month follow-up was predicted by decreased exercise capacity (beta=-.35; p<.001), dyspnoea (beta=24; p=.002), hypertension (beta=.16; p=.03), and depressive symptoms (beta=.16; p=.05). In contrast, general fatigue at 12-month follow-up was predicted by dyspnoea (beta=.24; p=.003), depressive symptoms (beta=.27; p<.001), type-D personality (beta=17; p=.03), and sleep problems (beta=.20; p=.01). Together, these variables explained 32% and 37% of the variance, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study showed that fatigue was related to both clinical and psychological characteristics. The use of this knowledge may lead to a better understanding and treatment of the clinical manifestations of fatigue in CHF.
Smith
Otto R F
OR
CoRPS-Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic diseases, Tilburg University, The Netherlands. robert.smith@psy-uvt.nl
Michielsen
Helen J
HJ
Pelle
Aline J
AJ
Schiffer
Angelique A
AA
Winter
Jobst B
JB
Denollet
Johan
J
D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010556:Personality Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies