Abstract

BICHARA¹, Valentina M.; SANTILLAN², Jimena; DE ROSA³, Rodrigo  and  ESTOFAN4, Leonel. Depression in chronic heart failure: cause or consequence. Insuf. card. [online]. 2016, vol.11, n.4, pp.173-200. ISSN 1852-3862.

Depression is present in 17%-37% of patients with heart failure (HF), generating high costs for public health. It is important to consider that patients with a diagnosis of depression present a 4-fold increase in terms of mortality compared to those who do not. In the last decades, studies on HF have been based on the effects of this disease, rehospitalizations, quality of life and costs for public health, leaving aside psychosocial factors such as depression, which would have a high harmful impact on patients. Even more research and studies are needed to understand this disease. Clinical depression is a disorder consisting of a combination of elements that interfere with people's ability to perform their usual activities. It should be taken into account that patients with HF present cycles that vary from periods of stabilization to periods of hospitalization, causing depressive symptoms to be modified in the short time, depending on the patient's health status, whether hospitalized and between the fourth and sixth week after discharge. The aim of this paper is to provide information and data based on the research on depression in HF, to consider the need to make the diagnosis and to apply an early treatment in patients, improving the quality of life and avoiding the progression of their disease.

Keywords : Depression; Cardiac failure; Impact; Pathophysiological mechanisms; Diagnosis; Treatment.

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