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

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.

The clinical relevance of quality of life in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction

AIMS

Patient reported outcomes (PROs) are gradually being incorporated into daily practice to assess individual health-related quality of life (QOL). However, despite accumulating evidence of the prognostic utility of heart failure (HF)-specific QOL indices, evidence on the generic QOL score is scarce, especially in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Patient data were extracted from the Prospective mUlticenteR obServational stUdy of patIenTs with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (PURSUIT HFpEF) study. EuroQol 5 dimensions 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) data were obtained at discharge to evaluate patients' health-related QOL. The study population (n = 864) was divided into tertiles based on their EQ-5D-5L index as follows: low EQ-5D-5L 0.038-0.664 (n = 287), middle EQ-5D-5L 0.665-0.867 (n = 293), and high EQ-5D-5L 0.871-1.000 (n = 284). A total of 206 patients died over a mean follow-up period of 2.0 ± 1.2 years. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the risk of mortality increased with the tertile of the EQ-5D-5L index (34% vs. 23% vs. 14%, P < 0.001). Cox multivariable analysis revealed that patients with EQ-5D-5L index in the low and middle tertiles had a significantly greater risk of mortality than those with EQ-5D-5L index in the high tertile [low EQ-5D-5L: adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 1.81 (1.12-2.92), P = 0.002, middle EQ-5D-5L: adjusted HR 1.91 (1.21-3.03), P = 0.006]. Among the dimensions of EQ-5D-5L, mobility (P = 0.014), self-care (P = 0.023) and usual activities (P = 0.008) were significant factors associated with all-cause mortality after multivariable adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS

EQ-5D-5L is useful tool for risk stratification in patients with HFpEF.

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.

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.

Brain-heart communication in health and diseases

Tight connections between the brain and heart have attracted a considerable amount of attention. This review focuses on the anatomical (extrinsic cardiac autonomic nervous system and intrinsic cardiac autonomic nervous system) and functional (neuroendocrine-heart axis and neuroimmune-heart axis) connections between the brain and heart, the linkage between central nervous system diseases and cardiovascular diseases, the harm of sympathetic hyperactivity to the heart, and current neuromodulation therapies. Depression is a comorbidity of cardiovascular diseases, and the two are causally related. This review summarizes the mechanisms and treatment of depression and cardiovascular diseases, providing theoretical evidence for basic research and clinical studies to improve treatment options.