Background: Data regarding the influence of depression on outcome in chronic heart failure are conflicting and neglect possible gender differences.
Aims: To investigate prevalence and prognostic importance of depression in a cohort of patients with symptomatic heart failure and to compare findings in males and females.
Methods: Depression was measured at study entry using a self-reported 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) in 231 consecutive outpatients. The median follow-up time was 986 (IQR=664-1120) days.
Results: The prevalence of suspected major depression was 13% (minor depression, 17%) and was not different between the sexes. Major (but not minor) depression was associated with an increased mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR]=3.3, 95% confidence interval=1.8-6.1, p<0.001). This relationship remained significant after adjustment for other prognostically relevant factors as age, sex, heart failure aetiology, degree and type of left ventricular dysfunction, and New York Heart Association functional class. However, testing the effect of the interaction between gender and depression failed to reach significance (p=0.37).
Conclusion: Our data confirm a high prevalence of depression in chronic heart failure. Further, they prove an independent prognostic impact of major, but not minor, depression. Possible gender differences regarding the prognostic impact of depression require further investigation in a larger patient cohort.