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Psychological and Social Factors That Correlate With Dyspnea in Heart Failure

Received June 28, 2005; revised February 2, 2006; accepted February 9, 2006. From the Dept. of Psychiatry and Dept. of Medicine–Cardiology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Univ. of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick; the Dept. of Psychology, LaSalle Univ., Philadelphia, PA; and the Dept. of Behavioral Cardiology, Columbia Univ., New York, NY. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Skotzko, Dept. of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Univ. of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903. e-mail: skotzkce{at}umdnj.edu

Dyspnea is a common symptom of heart failure frequently relied upon to assess clinical functioning. The purpose of this study is to explore a broad range of medical, psychological, and social factors that correlate with dyspnea in heart failure patients. Seventy-six participants ranged from well-compensated, ambulatory subjects to those with recent hospitalization for acutely decompensated heart failure. The sample was predominantly male, mean age of 63.5 years, with mild depressive symptoms in 25%. Correlation analysis revealed that dyspnea significantly correlated with depression, fatigue, and overall health perception. Standard regression analyses indicated that depression, fatigue, and overall health perception uniquely contributed to dyspnea, explaining 38.0% of the total variance. The present study confirms that dyspnea is multifactorial, with links to psychological distress and overall health perception.

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