[Depression and heart failure - a dangerous combination].

Depression is common in heart failure and associated with impaired quality of life. It impacts adversely on clinical outcomes. Both diseases are widespread in the general population with increasing prevalence and treatment costs. They are therefore also of socio-economic relevance. Various interrelated biological and behavioral factors (e.g. lower treatment adherence in depressed patients with heart failure) seem to play a pathophysiological role, and there is growing evidence that both diseases may also share genetic susceptibilities. Simple screening tools ease depression diagnosis in clinical practice, although the clinical profile of both disorders overlaps. To date, there is no evidence that antidepressant pharmacotherapy improves depressive symptoms, mortality and morbidity in patients with heart failure and comorbid depression, but physical training, cognitive behavioral therapy and comprehensive disease management improved symptoms and/or prognosis in individual randomized studies. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.