Frequency of Depression in Patients with Heart Failure Reduced EF (HFrEF)

Objective. To determine the frequency of depression in patients with heart failure reduced EF (HFrEF) visiting to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (NICVD). Methodology. This study was carried out at NICVD, Karachi, over two years, including 504 HFrEF patients aged 30–75 years, selected via non-probability consecutive sampling. Depression was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), considering scores of ?8. Data on demographics, medical history, and lifestyle factors were recorded. SPSS version 26 was used for analysis, applying appropriate statistical tests, with p ? 0.05 set as the threshold for significance. Results. This study included 504 HFrEF patients (mean age: 58.55 ± 7.44 years; 72.6% male), with 56.34% (n=284) experiencing depression. Those with depression were significantly older (61.38 ± 7.46 vs. 54.90 ± 5.59 years, p=0.0001) and had a higher prevalence of myocardial infarction (60.9% vs. 35.0%, p=0.0001), diabetes (73.6% vs. 45.5%, p=0.0001), and sedentary lifestyle (78.9% vs. 39.5%, p=0.0001). NYHA class and marital status showed a strong correlation with depression, whereas gender, socioeconomic status, smoking, hypertension, and dyslipidemia did not. Conclusion. Depression is a prevalent issue in HFrEF patients, influenced by factors such as age, medical history, and lifestyle habits. The impact of marital status is notable, while other associations remain less clear. Integrating mental health screening into routine heart failure care is essential for better patient outcomes. Future research should explore effective management strategies to enhance both psychological well-being and cardiovascular health.