Heart Failure and Depression

Depression frequently accompanies heart failure and has been linked with increased morbidity and mortality. Patients with heart failure who have depression have more somatic symptoms, hospitalizations, increased financial burden, and poorer quality of life. Furthermore, depression has been shown to be an independent predictor of future cardiac events in patients with heart failure, regardless of disease severity, making it worthwhile to consider among other cardiac risk factors, such as diabetes and smoking. This article summarizes the trials assessing the treatment of depression in heart failure and provides an algorithm for approaching these patients.