Conditions: Heart Failure, Congestive Chronic Heart Failure Depression
Keywords: Antidepressive Agents
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 469
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This study will examine the effect of antidepressant medication on rates of death and disease in depressed people with chronic heart failure.

Detailed description:
Comorbid depression in people with chronic medical illness is a serious public health concern. Depressive disorders lead to increased morbidity, mortality, and poorer outcomes in ischemic heart disease, a leading cause of chronic heart failure (CHF). Evidence suggests that a relationship exists between depression and CHF; studies that examine the way CHF is affected by depression treatments are needed.

Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to receive either sertraline or placebo for 12 weeks. Assessments will be made at Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. Participants who do not respond to their treatment will have their medication dose adjusted following assessment. Interviews and rating scales will be used to assess depressive symptoms, cognitive status, psychiatric comorbidity, daily and chronic stress, and social support. A follow-up visit will take place 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years after study completion.

Arms:
arm 1: Participants will take sertraline for 12 weeks arm 2: Participants will take placebo for 12 weeks

Interventions: intervention 1: Sertraline intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Dosage ranging from 50 mg to 200 mg once a day intervention 2: Dosage ranging from 50 mg to 200 mg once a day

Protocol document: