Disability and anxiety-depressive states in patients with chronic heart failure

Objective: Anxious and depressive symptoms are frequent in cardiac disorders. This study estimates the prevalence of disability among patients with chronic cardiac disorder and identifies important correlates of disability among this population.

Method: Disability was assessed among 51 participants of the Marmara University Cardiology Clinics outpatient department at the 2013 follow-up using the brief disability questionnaire-BDQ Demographic and health measures were related to disability status using logistic regression models (none or mild vs. moderate, severe, or extreme disability). When the sex, education, occupation, the hospitalizing clinic and the HAD mean points were compared, the difference was found to be statistically significant (p<0.01).

Results: Patients with Coronary Artery Disease had a depression score of 10.5±2.7 and an anxiety score of 11.5±2.3 on the applied scale. Mostly patients reported moderate to extreme global disability. Economic constraints and depressive symptomatology were associated with global disability. Obesity, and hypertension were only associated with disability for the mobility domain (getting around).

Conclusion: The prevalence of disability is relatively high among the selected population of chronic cardiac patients. While planning the treatment of patients with cardiac illness, evaluating them mentally will help to provide optimal treatment and care services