Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Symptom perception in CHF: (why mind matters)

  • Published:
Heart Failure Reviews Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Symptoms utilized in the clinical care of heart failure as markers of disease severity include, dyspnea, insomnia, low energy, fatigue, poor appetite, and diminished memory. This is despite the fact that physiologic variables such as cardiac ejection fraction and oxygen consumption do not accurately predict functional state in individuals with congestive heart failure (CHF). Distress (anxiety and depression) may amplify symptom complaints without associated physiologic aberration. Personality traits and psychiatric illness, such as mood, anxiety, and psychotic illnesses may also alter perception of somatic symptoms that are associated with this chronic illness. The impact of distress and its treatment on functional performance and CHF symptom reporting deserve additional attention. The need to screen for distress in all with serious symptomatic heart failure is certain.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. http://www.hcoa.org/hcoacme/chf-cme/chf00070.htm

  2. Paraphrased from http://www.nccn.org/patients/patient_gls/_english/_distress/

  3. http://www.medicinenet.com/

  4. http://www.medicinenet.com/

  5. http://www.medicinenet.com/

  6. http://www.aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/meacmpes.htm

References

  1. Castro PF et al (2007) A wireless pressure sensor for monitoring pulmonary artery pressure in advanced heart failure: initial experience. J Heart Lung Transplant 26(1):85–88

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Ristow B et al (2007) Elevated pulmonary artery pressure by Doppler echocardiography predicts hospitalization for heart failure and mortality in ambulatory stable coronary artery disease: the Heart and Soul Study. J Am Coll Cardiol 49(1):43–49

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Rozenman Y et al (2007) Wireless acoustic communication with a miniature pressure sensor in the pulmonary artery for disease surveillance and therapy of patients with congestive heart failure. J Am Coll Cardiol 49(7):784–789

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Arnold R et al (2005) Consequences of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic heart failure: the relationship between objective and subjective health. Soc Sci Med 61(10):2144–2154

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Carels RA (2004) The association between disease severity, functional status, depression and daily quality of life in congestive heart failure patients. Qual Life Res 13(1):63–72

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Sherwood A et al (2007) Relationship of depression to death or hospitalization in patients with heart failure. Arch Intern Med 167(4):367–373

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Persson H et al (2007) Diastolic dysfunction in heart failure with preserved systolic function: need for objective evidence: results from the CHARM Echocardiographic Substudy-CHARMES. J Am Coll Cardiol 49(6):687–694

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Ng AC et al (2007) Impact of gender on outcomes in chronic systolic heart failure. Int J Cardiol 117(2):214–221

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Juenger J et al (2002) Health related quality of life in patients with congestive heart failure: comparison with other chronic diseases and relation to functional variables. Heart 87(3):235–241

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Feinstein RE et al (2006) A national survey of cardiovascular physicians’ beliefs and clinical care practices when diagnosing and treating depression in patients with cardiovascular disease. Cardiol Rev 14(4):164–169

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Katon W, Lin EH, Kroenke K (2007) The association of depression and anxiety with medical symptom burden in patients with chronic medical illness. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 29(2):147–155

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Skotzko CE et al (2000) Depression is common and precludes accurate assessment of functional status in elderly patients with congestive heart failure. J Card Fail 6(4):300–305

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Freedland KE et al (2003) Prevalence of depression in hospitalized patients with congestive heart failure. Psychosom Med 65(1):119–128

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Patten SB, Williams JV, Love EJ (1996) Case-control studies of cardiovascular medications as risk factors for clinically diagnosed depressive disorders in a hospitalized population. Can J Psychiatry 41(7):469–476

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ko DT et al (2002) Beta-blocker therapy and symptoms of depression, fatigue, and sexual dysfunction. JAMA 288(3):351–357

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Ramasamy R et al (2006) Psychological and social factors that correlate with dyspnea in heart failure. Psychosomatics 47(5):430–434

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Baas LS et al (2004) An exploratory study of body awareness in persons with heart failure treated medically or with transplantation. J Cardiovasc Nurs 19(1):32–40

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Ander DS et al (2004) Measuring the dyspnea of decompensated heart failure with a visual analog scale: how much improvement is meaningful? Congest Heart Fail 10(4):188–191

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Bernardi L et al (1998) Effect of breathing rate on oxygen saturation and exercise performance in chronic heart failure. Lancet 351(9112):1308–1311

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. McConnell TR et al (2003) Exercise training for heart failure patients improves respiratory muscle endurance, exercise tolerance, breathlessness, and quality of life. J Cardiopulm Rehabil 23(1):10–16

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Brostrom A, Johansson P (2005) Sleep disturbances in patients with chronic heart failure and their holistic consequences-what different care actions can be implemented? Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs 4(3):183–197

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Katz DA, McHorney CA (2002) The relationship between insomnia and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic illness. J Fam Pract 51(3):229–235

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Brostrom A et al (2004) Sleep difficulties, daytime sleepiness, and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure. J Cardiovasc Nurs 19(4):234–242

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Javaheri S (2006) Acetazolamide improves central sleep apnea in heart failure: a double-blind, prospective study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 173(2):234–237

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Redeker NS (2006) Somatic symptoms explain differences in psychological distress in heart failure patients vs a comparison group. Prog Cardiovasc Nurs 21(4):182–189

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Franssen FM, Wouters EF, Schols AM (2002) The contribution of starvation, deconditioning and ageing to the observed alterations in peripheral skeletal muscle in chronic organ diseases. Clin Nutr 21(1):1–14

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Gary R (2006) Exercise self-efficacy in older women with diastolic heart failure: results of a walking program and education intervention. J Gerontol Nurs 32(7):31–39; quiz 40–41

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Lavie CJ, Milani RV (2006) Adverse psychological and coronary risk profiles in young patients with coronary artery disease and benefits of formal cardiac rehabilitation. Arch Intern Med 166(17):1878–1883

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Argiles JM et al (2004) The pharmacological treatment of cachexia. Curr Drug Targets 5(3):265–277

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Bourdel-Marchasson I, Emeriau JP (2001) Nutritional strategy in the management of heart failure in adults. Am J Cardiovasc Drugs 1(5):363–373

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Coats AJ (2002) Origin of symptoms in patients with cachexia with special reference to weakness and shortness of breath. Int J Cardiol 85(1):133–139

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Lennie TA et al (2006) Factors influencing food intake in patients with heart failure: a comparison with healthy elders. J Cardiovasc Nurs 21(2):123–129

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Corvera-Tindel T et al (2004) Predictors of noncompliance to exercise training in heart failure. J Cardiovasc Nurs 19(4):269–277; quiz 278–279

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Ahmed A et al (2006) Geriatric heart failure, depression, and nursing home admission: an observational study using propensity score analysis. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 14(10):867–875

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Boyd CM et al (2005) Hospitalization and development of dependence in activities of daily living in a cohort of disabled older women: the Women’s Health and Aging Study I. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 60(7):888–893

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Bennett SJ, Sauve MJ, Shaw RM (2005) A conceptual model of cognitive deficits in chronic heart failure. J Nurs Scholarsh 37(3):222–228

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Lavery L et al (2007) The association between congestive heart failure and cognitive performance in a primary care population of elderly adults: the Steel Valley Seniors Survey. Int Psychogeriatr 19(2):215–225

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Mauro F et al (2007) Correlation between cognitive impairment and prognostic parameters in patients with congestive heart failure. Arch Med Res 38(2):234–239

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Alves TC et al (2006) Association between major depressive symptoms in heart failure and impaired regional cerebral blood flow in the medial temporal region: a study using 99 m Tc-HMPAO single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT). Psychol Med 36(5):597–608

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Faris R et al (2002) Clinical depression is common and significantly associated with reduced survival in patients with non-ischaemic heart failure. Eur J Heart Fail 4(4):541–551

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Jiang W et al (2001) Relationship of depression to increased risk of mortality and rehospitalization in patients with congestive heart failure. Arch Intern Med 161(15):1849–1856

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Rutledge T et al (2006) Depression symptom severity and reported treatment history in the prediction of cardiac risk in women with suspected myocardial ischemia: the NHLBI-sponsored WISE study. Arch Gen Psychiatry 63(8):874–880

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Rutledge T et al (2006) Depression in heart failure a meta-analytic review of prevalence, intervention effects, and associations with clinical outcomes. J Am Coll Cardiol 48(8):1527–1537

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Bremmer MA et al (2006) Depression in older age is a risk factor for first ischemic cardiac events. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 14(6):523–530

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Parissis JT et al (2005) Depression in chronic heart failure: novel pathophysiological mechanisms and therapeutic approaches. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 14(5):567–577

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Parissis JT et al (2004) Comparison of circulating proinflammatory cytokines and soluble apoptosis mediators in patients with chronic heart failure with versus without symptoms of depression. Am J Cardiol 94(10):1326–1328

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Ferketich AK, Ferguson JP, Binkley PF (2005) Depressive symptoms and inflammation among heart failure patients. Am Heart J 150(1):132–136

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Pasic J et al (2004) Lack of depression effect on platelet activation in patients with heart failure. Psychiatry Res 129(3):289–292

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Redwine LS et al (2007) Cardiac-related hospitalization and/or death associated with immune dysregulation and symptoms of depression in heart failure patients. Psychosom Med 69(1):23–29

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. O’Carroll RE et al (2001) Psychological factors associated with delay in attending hospital following a myocardial infarction. J Psychosom Res 51(4):611–614

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Wise TN et al (1990) Secondary alexithymia: an empirical validation. Compr Psychiatry 31(4):284–288

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Lesperance F et al (2003) An open-label study of nefazodone treatment of major depression in patients with congestive heart failure. Can J Psychiatry 48(10):695–701

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Gottlieb SS et al (2007) A double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study of controlled-release paroxetine on depression and quality of life in chronic heart failure. Am Heart J 153(5):868–873

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Jayadevappa R et al (2007) Effectiveness of transcendental meditation on functional capacity and quality of life of African Americans with congestive heart failure: a randomized control study. Ethn Dis 17(1):72–77

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Taylor CB et al (2005) Effects of antidepressant medication on morbidity and mortality in depressed patients after myocardial infarction. Arch Gen Psychiatry 62(7):792–798

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Glassman AH et al (2002) Sertraline treatment of major depression in patients with acute MI or unstable angina. JAMA 288(6):701–709

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Atlantic Behavioral Health System, Morristown Memorial Hospital, 100 Madison Ave, Box 28, Morristown, NJ, 07960, USA

    Christine E. Skotzko

Authors
  1. Christine E. Skotzko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christine E. Skotzko.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Skotzko, C.E. Symptom perception in CHF: (why mind matters). Heart Fail Rev 14, 29–34 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10741-007-9059-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10741-007-9059-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation