Associations Between Depressive Symptoms and HFpEF-Related Outcomes

Prognostic Value of Depressive Symptoms for Cardiovascular Events in Female Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction and Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

BACKGROUND

Among those with heart failure (HF), women are more likely to develop depression than men. Few studies have focused on the outcomes of female patients with HF with depressive symptoms.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 506 female patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction were included in this secondary analysis from the TOPCAT (Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure With an Aldosterone Antagonist) cohort, and 439 female patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction were included from the HF-ACTION (Heart Failure: A Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise Training) cohort. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Beck Depression Inventory-II. The depression class was categorized by severity, and the change in clinical depression class was defined as aggravated (1-grade increase) or improved (1-grade decrease). The prognostic value of depressive symptoms was determined by using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Female patients with improved depressive symptoms had worse depressive status at baseline and lower baseline Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire scores. Depression class at the 12-month visit and depression class change were the dominant prognostic factors for cardiovascular death in female patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (hazard ratio [HR], 1.43 [95% CI, 1.02-2.01], P=0.036; HR, 1.71 [95% CI, 1.14-2.55], P=0.009). Among the patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction, both the depression class at baseline and depression class change had significant prognostic effects on cardiovascular death (HR, 3.30 [95% CI, 1.70-6.39], P<0.001; HR, 2.21 [95% CI, 1.28-3.80], P=0.004). However, the prognostic value of depressive assessments for hospitalization in patients with HF is unclear.

CONCLUSIONS

In female patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction, the depression class at baseline was most strongly associated with cardiovascular death, whereas in female patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction, the change in depression class exhibited a more significant prognostic trend.

Associations of cumulative depressive symptoms within 1-year of discharge with subsequent mortality among patients hospitalized for acute heart failure: Findings from The China PEACE Prospective Heart Failure Study

BACKGROUND

To examine the associations between cumulative depressive symptoms and subsequent mortality among patients hospitalized for acute hear failure (AHF).

METHODS

By using data from a prospective cohort study of patients with HF, depressive symptoms were measured by using Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) at admission, 1-and 12-month after discharge. Cumulative depressive symptoms were interpreted by cumulative PHQ-2 score and cumulative times of depressive symptoms. Outcomes included subsequent 3-year all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

RESULTS

We included 2347 patients with the median follow-up of 4.4 (interquartile range [IQR]: 4.0-5.0) years. Tertile 3 of cumulative PHQ-2 score had the highest risk of all-cause (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.47, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.21-1.78) and cardiovascular mortality (HR: 1.51, 95 % CI: 1.21-1.89) compared with Tertile 1; patients with≥2 times of depressive symptoms had the highest risk of all-cause (HR: 1.62, 95 % CI: 1.31-2.00) and cardiovascular mortality (HR: 1.60, 95 % CI: 1.25-2.05) compared with patients without any depressive symptom. Cumulative PHQ-2 score provided the highest level of incremental prognostic ability in predicting the risk of all-cause (C-statistics: 0.64, 95 % CI: 0.62-0.66) and cardiovascular mortality (C-statistics: 0.65, 95 % CI: 0.62-0.67) on the basis of Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure score.

CONCLUSION

Cumulative depressive symptoms were associated with the increased risk of subsequent mortality and provided incremental prognostic ability for the outcomes among patients with HF. Repeated depressive symptom measurements could be helpful to monitor long-term depressive symptoms, identify targeted patients and perform psychological interventions and social support to improve clinical outcomes among patients with AHF.

Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: How to Deal with This Chameleon

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is characterized by a notable heterogeneity in both phenotypic and pathophysiological features, with a growing incidence due to the increase in median age and comorbidities such as obesity, arterial hypertension, and cardiometabolic disease. In recent decades, the development of new pharmacological and non-pharmacological options has significantly impacted outcomes, improving clinical status and reducing mortality. Moreover, a more personalized and accurate therapeutic management has been demonstrated to enhance the quality of life, diminish hospitalizations, and improve overall survival. Therefore, assessing the peculiarities of patients with HFpEF is crucial in order to obtain a better understanding of this disorder. Importantly, comorbidities have been shown to influence symptoms and prognosis, and, consequently, they should be carefully addressed. In this sense, it is mandatory to join forces with a multidisciplinary team in order to achieve high-quality care. However, HFpEF remains largely under-recognized and under-treated in clinical practice, and the diagnostic and therapeutic management of these patients remains challenging. The aim of this paper is to articulate a pragmatic approach for patients with HFpEF focusing on the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of HFpEF.

Palliative Care for Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has become the leading form of heart failure worldwide, particularly among elderly patient populations. HFpEF is associated with significant morbidity and mortality that may benefit from incorporation of palliative care (PC). Patients with HFpEF have similarly high mortality rates to patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. PC trials for heart failure have shown improvement in quality of life, quality of death, and health care utilization, although most trials defined heart failure clinically without differentiating between HFpEF and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. As such, the timing and role of PC for HFpEF care remains uncertain, and PC referral rates for HFpEF are very low despite potential improvements in important patient-centered outcomes. Specific barriers to referral include limited data, prognostic uncertainty, provider misconceptions about PC, inadequate specialty PC workforce, complexities of treating multimorbidity, and limited home care options for patients with heart failure. While there are many barriers to integration of PC into HFpEF care, there are multiple potential benefits to patients with HFpEF throughout their disease course. As this population continues to grow, targeted efforts to study and implement PC interventions are needed to improve patient quality of life and death.

Associations between cardiac structure and function and depressive disorder: A centenarian study in China

Background

Depressive disorder is a common comorbidity in patients with cardiovascular diseases and is associated with increased hospitalization and death rates. The relationships between cardiac structure and function and depressive disorder remains unclear in the older adults, especially in centenarians. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the possible associations between cardiac structure and function and depressive disorder among centenarians.

Methods

In the China Hainan Centenarian Cohort Study, the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale scores and echocardiography were used to evaluate depressive disorder and cardiac structure and function, respectively. All information, including epidemiological questionnaires, physical examinations, and blood tests, was obtained following standardized procedures.

Results

A total of 682 centenarians were enrolled in the study (mean age: 102.35 ± 2.72 years). The prevalence of depressive disorder in centenarians is 26.2% (179 older adults), of whom 81.2% (554 older adults) are women. Centenarians with depressive disorder have significantly higher left ventricular ejection fraction (60.02 ± 3.10) and interventricular septum thickness (9.79 ± 1.54). Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis detected positive associations of left ventricular ejection fraction (Bets: 0.093) and interventricular septum thickness (Bets: 0.440) with Geriatric Depression Scale scores. Both left ventricular ejection fraction (odds ratio: 1.081) and interventricular septum thickness (odds ratio: 1.274) were independently associated with depressive disorder in multiple logistic regression analysis (P < 0.05, all).

Conclusions

The prevalence of depressive disorder remains very high, and associations were found between left ventricular ejection fraction, interventricular septum thickness, and depressive disorder in Chinese centenarians. Future studies should focus on their temporal relationships to improve cardiac structure and function, prevent depressive disorder, and achieve healthy aging by coordinating their relationships.

Tryptophan catabolites and depression in the general population: results from the Gutenberg Health Study

Previous studies reported significantly altered tryptophan catabolite concentrations in major depression. Thus, tryptophan catabolites were considered as potential biomarkers of depression and their modulators as potential targets for psychopharmacotherapy. However, the results were based mainly on studies with small sample sizes limiting their generalizability. Against this background, we investigated the relationship of peripheral tryptophan catabolites with depression in a population-based sample with n = 3,389 participants (with fasting status ≥ 8 h and C-reactive protein < 10 mg/L). N = 248 had clinically significant depression according to a PHQ-9 score of ≥ 10, n = 1,101 subjects had mild depressive symptoms with PHQ-9 scores between 5 and 9, and n = 2,040 had no depression. After multivariable adjustment, clinically significant depression was associated with lower kynurenine and kynurenic acid. Spearman correlation coefficients of the tryptophan catabolites with the severity of depression were very small (rho ≤ 0.080, p ≤ 0.015). None of the tryptophan catabolites could diagnostically separate depressed from not depressed persons. Concerning linear associations, kynurenine and kynurenic acid were associated only with the severity and the cognitive dimension of depression but not its somatic dimension. Tryptophan catabolites were not associated with persistence or recurrence of depression at the 5 year follow-up. The results replicated the association between kynurenine and kynurenic acid with depression. However, the associations were small raising doubts about their clinical utility. Findings underline the complexity of the relationships between depression and tryptophan catabolites. The search for subgroups of depression with a potentially higher impact of depression might be warranted.

Change in Depressive Symptoms During the First Month of Discharge and 1-Year Clinical Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure

Background The patterns of depressive symptom change during the first month after discharge, as well as their prognostic implications, and predictors of persistent or new-onset depressive symptoms are not well characterized. Methods and Results We included patients hospitalized for heart failure undergoing Patient Health Questionnaire-2 before discharge and at 1 month after discharge in a multicenter prospective cohort. We characterized 4 patterns of change in depressive symptoms-persistent, new-onset, remitted depressive symptoms, and no depressive symptom-and examined the associations between the 4 patterns and 1-year clinical outcomes. We analyzed the factors associated with persistent or new-onset depressive symptoms. A total of 4130 patients were included. Among 1175 (28.5%) symptomatic patients and 2955 (71.5%) symptom-free patients before discharge, 817 (69.5%) had remission, and 366 (12.2%) had new-onset depressive symptoms, respectively. Compared with no depressive symptom, persistent depressive symptoms were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death (hazard ratio [HR], 2.10 [95% CI, 1.59-2.79]) and heart failure rehospitalization (HR, 1.56 [95% CI, 1.30-1.87]); new-onset depressive symptoms were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death (HR, 1.78 [95%CI, 1.32-2.40]) and heart failure rehospitalization (HR, 1.54 [95% CI, 1.29-1.83]). Remitted depressive symptoms were associated with a slightly increased risk of cardiovascular death but had no significant association with heart failure rehospitalization. Patients who were female or had poor socioeconomic status, stroke history, renal dysfunction, or poor health status had a higher risk of persistent or new-onset depressive symptoms. Conclusions Sex, socioeconomic status, clinical characteristics, and health status help identify patients with high risks of depressive symptoms at 1 month after discharge. Dynamic capture of depressive symptom change during this period informs long-term risk stratifications and targets patients who require psychological interventions and social support to improve clinical outcomes. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier (NCT02878811).

Geriatric Domains in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Because heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is closely linked to aging processes and disproportionately affects older adults, consideration of geriatric domains is paramount to ensure high-quality care to older adults with HFpEF. Multimorbidity, polypharmacy, cognitive impairment, depressive symptoms, frailty, falls, and social isolation each have important implications on quality of life and clinical events including hospitalization and mortality. There are multiple strategies to screen for these conditions. This narrative review underscores the importance of screening for multiple geriatric conditions, integrating these conditions into decision making, and addressing these conditions when caring for older adults with HFpEF.

Why Do so Few People with Heart Failure Receive Cardiac Rehabilitation?

Many people with heart failure do not receive cardiac rehabilitation despite a strong evidence base attesting to its effectiveness, and national and international guideline recommendations. A more holistic approach to heart failure rehabilitation is proposed as an alternative to the predominant focus on exercise, emphasising the important role of education and psychosocial support, and acknowledging that this depends on patient need, choice and preference. An individualised, needs-led approach, exploiting the latest digital technologies when appropriate, may help fill existing gaps, improve access, uptake and completion, and ensure optimal health and wellbeing for people with heart failure and their families. Exercise, education, lifestyle change and psychosocial support should, as core elements, unless contraindicated due to medical reasons, be offered routinely to people with heart failure, but tailored to individual circumstances, such as with regard to age and frailty, and possibly for recipients of cardiac implantable electronic devices or left ventricular assist devices.

Prognostic value of post-discharge depression in patients recently hospitalized with acute heart failure

Background

Depression is a prevalent comorbidity in patients with heart failure (HF). However, data regarding the prognostic significance of depression during the early post-discharge period in patients hospitalized with acute HF, regardless of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), were scarce.

Methods and results

The Heart Failure Registry of Patient Outcomes (HERO) study is a prospective, multicenter study of patients hospitalized with acute HF in China. At the first follow-up after discharge (median 4.0, interquartile range [IQR]: 2.4–6.1 weeks), depressive symptoms over the past 2 weeks were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Of 3,889 patients, 480 (12.3%) patients had depression (PHQ-9 score ≥ 10). A total of 3,456 patients (11.4% with depression) were included in the prospective analysis. After a median follow-up of 47.1 weeks (IQR: 43.9, 49.3) from the first follow-up, 508 (14.7%) patients died, and 1,479 (42.8%) patients experienced a composite event (death or HF rehospitalization). Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association of post-discharge depression with adverse events. After adjustment, post-discharge depression was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 2.38 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.93–2.94]; p &lt; 0.001) and the composite event (HR 1.78 [95% CI: 1.55–2.05]; p &lt; 0.001). A per scale point increase in PHQ-9 score (ranging from 0 to 27 points) was associated with a 7.6% increase in all-cause mortality (HR 1.08 [95% CI: 1.06–1.09]; p &lt; 0.001). In the subgroup analysis, the association between depression and the composite event was significantly stronger in relatively younger patients (&lt; 75 vs. ≥ 75 years; p for interaction = 0.011), and the association between depression and all-cause mortality was significantly stronger in patients with preserved ejection fraction than in those with reduced ejection fraction (p for interaction = 0.036).

Conclusion

Post-discharge depression in patients recently hospitalized with acute HF is associated with an increased risk of adverse events, regardless of LVEF. Screening for depressive symptoms during the early post-discharge period may help to better identify high-risk patients and tailor patient management. Further studies are needed to determine how regular depression screening can help improve patient management and clinical outcomes.

Assess and address: Screening and management of depression in patients with chronic heart failure

BACKGROUND

About one in three patients with heart failure (HF) have depression. Comorbid HF and depression are associated with poor outcomes and increased health care burden. Clinical guidelines recommend routine depression screening in patients with HF.

LOCAL PROBLEM

Depression screening was not being systematically implemented in an outpatient cardiology clinic.

METHODS

To create a sustainable process for a cardiology clinic to screen adults with chronic HF for depression, identify patients who have an elevated depression screening score and initiate an evidence-based treatment algorithm for patients with depressive symptoms.

INTERVENTION

A nurse practitioner (NP)-led process improvement project administered the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) tool to patients with HF. The score was reviewed by the NP and, if elevated, addressed with assessment and plan. Compliance was measured by the percentage of patients screened. Clinical impact was measured by percentage of patients with an elevated score with a documented treatment plan.

RESULTS

Postimplementation results for four Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles were 38%, 68%, 72%, and 66%, respectively, with a total 63% of patients screened during the entire project. Twenty unique patients (13.2%) had elevated PHQ-9 scores; all had a documented treatment plan.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated how a screening protocol and an accompanying treatment algorithm can be successfully implemented in an outpatient cardiology clinic. Elements of success included a standardized screening protocol, a clinical support algorithm for treatment/referral, an optimized electronic medical record, and a follow-up system for patients with significant depressive symptoms. Stakeholder engagement throughout the project informed iterative changes and provided direction for sustainability.

Depression and Hospital Readmissions in Patients with Heart Failure

Depression increases the risk of mortality in patients with heart failure (HF). Less is known about whether depression predicts multiple readmissions or whether multiple hospitalizations worsen depression in patients with HF. This study aimed to test the hypotheses that depression predicts multiple readmissions in patients hospitalized with HF, and conversely that multiple readmissions predict persistent or worsening depression. All-cause readmissions were ascertained over a 2-year follow-up of a cohort of 400 patients hospitalized with HF. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to assess depression at index and 3-month intervals. At enrollment in the study, 21% of the patients were mildly depressed and 22% were severely depressed. Higher Patient Health Questionnaire-9 depression scores predicted a higher rate of readmissions (adjusted hazard ratio 1.02, 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 1.04, p = 0.03). The readmission rate was higher in those who were severely depressed than in those without depression (p = 0.0003), but it did not differ between patients who were mildly depressed and patients without depression. Multiple readmissions did not predict persistent or worsening depression, but younger patients in higher New York Heart Association classes were more depressed than other patients. Depression is an independent risk factor for multiple all-cause readmissions in patients hospitalized with HF. Severe depression is a treatable psychiatric co-morbidity that warrants ongoing clinical attention in patients with HF.

The association between cardiovascular drugs and depression/anxiety in patients with cardiovascular disease: A meta-analysis

This study aimed to investigate the association between cardiovascular drugs and depression/anxiety in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). This meta-analysis was registered in PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews; CRD42020197839) and conducted in accordance with the MOOSE (Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines. The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and VIP databases were systematically searched to identify all available studies on this topic. Random-effects multivariate meta-regression was performed to investigate the sources of study heterogeneity. Review Manager version 5.3 and Stata 12.0 were used for data analyses. This meta-analysis included 54 studies with a total number of 212,640 patients. Overall, in patients with CVD, aspirin (odds ratio [OR]:0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.86-0.96, P = 0.02) was associated with a lower risk of depression, while calcium channel blockers (CCB) (OR:1.21, 95%CI:1.05-1.38, P = 0.008), diuretics (OR:1.34, 95%CI:1.14-1.58, P = 0.0005), and nitrate esters (OR:1.32, 95%CI:1.08-1.61, P = 0.006) were associated with a higher risk of depression, additionally, statin (OR:0.79, 95%CI:0.71-0.88, P < 0.0001) was associated with a lower risk of anxiety, but diuretics (OR:1.39, 95%CI:1.26-1.52, P < 0.00001) was associated with a higher risk of anxiety. Subgroup analysis presented that, in patients with hypertension, β-blockers were associated with a higher risk of depression (OR:1.45, 95%CI:1.26-1.67, P < 0.00001); in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), statin (OR:0.77, 95%CI:0.59-0.99, P = 0.04), and aspirin (OR:0.85, 95%CI:0.75-0.97, P = 0.02) were associated with a lower risk of depression, while CCB (OR:1.32, 95%CI:1.15-1.51, P < 0.0001) and diuretics (OR:1.36, 95%CI:1.12-1.64, P = 0.002) were associated with a higher risk of depression, additionally, diuretics was associated with a higher risk of anxiety (OR:1.41, 95%CI:1.28-1.55, P < 0.00001); in patients with heart failure, nitrate esters (OR:1.93, 95%CI:1.19-3.13, P = 0.007), and diuretics (OR:1.58, 95%CI: 1.02-2.43, P = 0.04) were associated with a higher risk of depression. The use of cardiovascular drugs should be considered when evaluating depression or anxiety in patients with CVD to improve the care and treatment of these patients.

Physical Functioning in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is increasingly prevalent, yet interventions and therapies to improve outcomes remain limited. There has been increasing attention towards the impact of comorbidities and physical functioning (PF) on poor clinical outcomes within this population. In this review, we summarize and discuss the literature on PF in HFpEF, its association with clinical and patient-centered outcomes, and future advances in the care of HFpEF with respect to PF. Multiple PF metrics have been demonstrated to provide prognostic value within HFpEF, yet the data are less robust compared with other patient populations, highlighting the need for further investigation. The evaluation and detection of poor PF provides a potential strategy to improve care in HFpEF, and future studies are needed to understand if modulating PF improves clinical and/or patient-reported outcomes. LAY SUMMARY: • Patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) commonly have impaired physical functioning (PF) demonstrated by limitations across a wide range of common PF metrics.• Impaired PF metrics demonstrate prognostic value for both clinical and patient-reported outcomes in HFpEF, making them plausible therapeutic targets to improve outcomes.• Clinical trials are ongoing to investigate novel methods of detecting, monitoring, and improving impaired PF to enhance HFpEF care.Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is increasingly prevalent, yet interventions and therapies to improve outcomes remain limited. As such, there has been increasing focus on the impact of physical performance (PF) on clinical and patient-centered outcomes. In this review, we discuss the state of PF in patients with HFpEF by examining the multitude of PF metrics available, their respective strengths and limitations, and their associations with outcomes in HFpEF. We highlight future advances in the care of HFpEF with respect to PF, particularly regarding the evaluation and detection of poor PF.

Major depression and clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

OBJECTIVE

Limited data have been published concerning about depression in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Besides, among HFpEF patients with depression, the efficacy of antidepressants is poorly defined. Therefore, our current study was aimed to examine the relationship between major depression and clinical outcomes in HFpEF patients and further address the effects of antidepressants on prognosis in patients with major depression and HFpEF.

METHODS

A total of 1431 patients enrolled in the Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure with an Aldosterone Antagonist Trial (TOPCAT) were divided into 2 groups according to the baseline depression status. Major depression was diagnosed if the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score (PHQ-9) ≥ 10. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models tested the association of major depression with outcomes and the effects of antidepressants among HFpEF patients with major depression during a follow-up of 6 years.

RESULTS

26.7% (382/1431) of patients were diagnosed with major depression. After multivariable adjustment, major depression at baseline was not significantly associated with cardiovascular outcomes (fully adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.95 [0.76-1.18] for primary outcomes; aHR: 0.86 [0.67-1.10] for HF hospitalization; aHR: 1.06 [0.91-1.23] for any hospitalization; aHR: 1.00 [0.70-1.43] for cardiovascular death; aHR: 1.24 [0.96-1.61] for all-cause death). Additionally, among HFpEF patients with major depression, the use of antidepressants was not associated with adverse events (P > .05 for all analyses).

CONCLUSIONS

In HFpEF patients, major depression at baseline did not increase mortality or rehospitalization. Additionally, treatment with antidepressants might not improve prognosis among HFpEF patients with major depression. Future studies are warranted to explore the effects of antidepressants on HFpEF patients with depression.