Depressive symptomatology, NT-proBNP levels and health status in patients with heart failure: a prospective observational study.

Background

Depressive symptoms frequently occur in patients with heart failure (HF). However, research on the relationship between these symptoms and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), a key biomarker for HF severity and treatment, is scarce and yields inconsistent results.

Aims

This study investigates the relationship among depressive symptomatology, NT-proBNP and health status in a cohort of patients with HF. Additionally, it assesses the impact of depressive symptoms on their clinical outcomes.

Methods

A cohort of 151 patients with HF was followed for 1 year. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression (HADS-D) Score was used to assess anxiety and depressive symptoms, and NT-proBNP levels were measured. Health status was evaluated using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ).

Results

Patients with HADS-D scores>5 points showed significantly higher NT-proBNP levels and lower KCCQ scores at baseline. Over the year, changes in HADS-D scores correlated positively with changes in NT-proBNP levels and negatively with changes in KCCQ scores. A baseline HADS-D score>5 points was significantly associated with an increased risk of the composite outcome of all-cause mortality and HF hospitalisation, even after adjusting for baseline characteristics (adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 2.17; 95% CI 1.05 to 4.48; p=0.036).

Conclusions

HADS-D scores are significantly correlated with NT-proBNP levels and health status in patients with HF. A baseline HADS-D score>5 points is significantly associated with an elevated risk for the composite outcome of all-cause mortality and hospitalisation due to HF.

Informations de copyright

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Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

None declared.