Anxiety in heart failure patients and its association with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics: a cross-sectional study

The Influence of Hybrid Comprehensive Telerehabilitation on Anxiety in Heart Failure Patients: The TELEREH-HF Randomized Clinical Trial

Telerehabilitation for heart failure (HF) patients is beneficial for physical functioning, prognosis, and psychological status. The study aimed at evaluating the influence of hybrid comprehensive telerehabilitation (HCTR) on the level of anxiety in comparison to usual care (UC). The TELEREH-HF study was a multicenter prospective RCT in 850 clinically stable HF participants. Patients underwent clinical examinations, including the assessment of anxiety, at entry and after the 9-week training program (HCTR) or observation (UC). The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used. 20.3% HCTR and 20.1% UC patients reported high level of anxiety as a state at baseline, with higher STAI results in younger participants (< 63 y.o.) (p = .048 for HCTR; p = .026 for UC). At both stages of the study, patients with lower level of physical capacity (measured by a peak VO2) had shown significantly higher level of anxiety. There were no significant changes in anxiety levels during the 9-week observation for the entire study population, although there were different patterns of change in anxiety (both trait and state) in younger and older groups,with the decrease in younger patients, and the increase-in the older group.Trial registry number NCT02523560 (Clinical Trials.gov), date of registration: August 14, 2015.

Relationship between sitting time and health status in patients with heart failure

OBJECTIVE

To describe self-reported sitting time (ST), and determine the factors associated with health status (HS) among patients with heart failure (HF).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study design was used in this study. Outcome measures included an international physical activity questionnaire and a self-report health status questionnaire. The data assessments were examined using the Pearson correlation coefficient, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Hierarchical multiple regression.

RESULT

180 respondents joined this study. The mean age was mean 59.92 (SD= 11.90) years old, and 60% were male. The mean score of HS was mean 9.43 (SD= 2.16). The HS had a significant correlation with age (r= .17, p< .05), Hemoglobin (r= -.46, p< .01), HF medications (r= .31, p< .01), length of diagnostic HF (r= .35, p< .01), and comorbidity (r= .25, p< .01), and the HS was associated with the NYHA Classification (F= 203.43, p< .001), and the ST (F= 73.97, p< .001). Four variables were significant predictors of HS such as comorbidity (β = .14), NYHA Class I (β= -2.22), ST 6 to 8 hours/day (β= 1.27), and ST > 8 hours/day (β= 3.03), and they were predicted 75.1% of the variance in HS.

CONCLUSION

High amounts of ST and high NYHA classifications were associated with decreased HS in patients with HF, Moreover, HS is independently associated with comorbidities status and length of diagnostic HF.