Living with and dying from heart failure: the role of palliative care

• Published in: Heart (British Cardiac Society) Vol. 88; no. suppl 2; pp. ii36 - ii39
• Main Authors: Gibbs, J S R, McCoy, A S M, Gibbs, L M E, Rogers, A E, Addington-Hall, J M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Cardiovascular Society 01.10.2002; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Beta blockers; Cancer; Cardiovascular disease; Chronic illnesses; Heart failure; Heart Failure - therapy; Hospice Care - organization & administration; Hospitals; Humans; Mental depression; Mental health; Mortality; Pain; Palliative care; Palliative Care - organization & administration; Patients; Physicians; Professional Practice; Session III: Multidisciplinary working—building the team; Studies; Terminal Care - organization & administration; United Kingdom > UK
• ISSN: 1355-6037; 1468-201X
• DOI: 10.1136/heart.88.suppl_2.ii36

Depression has been shown to increase the hospital readmission rate of patients with heart failure, both at three months and one year, as well as causing a significant increase in mortality at the same time periods. 5 The mechanism for this is uncertain and interestingly depression causes similar neuroendocrine activation to chronic heart failure itself. Patients tend to attribute symptoms of heart failure to advancing age and decreasing physical and mental capacities, and this may reinforce their beliefs that nothing can be done to improve their symptoms. 7 This lack of everyday knowledge of chronic heart failure serves to highlight the importance of patient education and information as well as the need for raised public awareness.