Is depression a problem in patients with chronic heart failure?

Depression is a common psychiatric disorder, characterized by a persistent lowering of mood, loss of interest in routine activities and diminished ability to experience pleasure.There are several depression classification systems and diagnostic tools based on clinical symptoms, i.e. the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Montgomery-Asberg Scale and Beck’s Depression Inventory. Depression frequently occurs in patients with heart failure, as similar pathophysiological mechanisms of neurohormonal activation, arrhythmia, inflammation and hypercoagulation are present in both these diseases. Prognosis in patients with depression is also affected by insufficient cooperation between a patient and his doctor as regards the lifestyle and medication intake of a patient. Depression is usually accompanied by remission and relapse periods which might be related to the current heart failure status of a patient and despite intensive medical treatment they may recur. Depression is often difficult to diagnose or even left undiagnosed and thus untreated, because its symptoms: fatigue, apathy and decreased exercise tolerance, are common in the general population. Furthermore, safety and efficacy of antidepressant therapy in patients with cardiovascular diseases are not well established. Evidence from clinical trials evaluating the influence of depression behavioral and pharmacological treatment on morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure is also limited. Taking into account that depression affects prognosis in patients with variety of disorders and common pathological mechanisms present both in depression and heart failure, screening tests for depression should be considered not only in patients with diagnosed heart failure but also those at risk of heart failure development.