Heart failure takes bigger toll on men

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ATLANTA, May 13 (UPI) -- Men with heart failure report more depression and poorer quality of life than women or men without heart failure, U.S. researchers said.

Dr. Rory Hachamovitch of Cleveland Clinic's Heart and Vascular Institute screened more than 3,300 patients who were referred to their medical center for cardiovascular assessment over a one-year period.

Hachamovitch's research team scored responses to a standardized depression test and administered a quality-of-life questionnaire.

In general, minor and major depression were more frequent in women than in men -- 14 percent versus 8.9 percent -- and in heart failure patients -- 22 percent versus 9.6 percent.

Quality-of-life scores were also lower in women and in heart failure patients.

However, the study found the difference in depression and quality-of-life scores was more than double for men with heart failure, compared to all patients.

Women with heart failure also had higher scores than their non-heart failure counterparts, but the difference was significantly less, Hachamovitch said.

The findings were presented at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions in Atlanta.