[Quality of life, depression and cognitive functions 5. Depression].
Depression is common in patients with heart failure but its causal and/or prognostic role with respect to the cardiac condition in still a matter of research.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the prevalence of depression and to assess its specific prognostic value in terms of increased risk of hospitalizations or death.


RESULTS
Overall, 27.5% of 1495 patients experience symptoms of depression. Risk factors for depression are female sex, age >70, higher NYHA class, previous hospitalizations and comorbidities. Depressed patients of the same NYHA class are at higher risk for 1 and 3 years mortality and all causes hospital admissions.


CONCLUSIONS
Depression, assessed with a simple and easy to administer instrument, can add information to clinical variables in the identification of patients at increased risk of mortality and readmissions within the same NYHA class.
D000368:Aged; D002309:Cardiology; D003071:Cognition; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003863:Depression / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D015399:Nursing Research; D010359:Patient Readmission; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors