Depression associated with 5-fold increased mortality risk in heart failure patients

(European Society of Cardiology) Moderate to severe depression is associated with a 5-fold increased risk of all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure, according to research presented today at Heart Failure 2015. The results from OPERA-HF show that risk was independent of comorbidities and severity of heart failure. Patients who were not depressed had an 80 percent lower mortality risk.