Major depressive disorder and inflammatory markers in elderly patients with heart failure.

The authors evaluated levels of inflammatory markers in 34 chronic heart failure (CHF) out-patients age 65 years and over, with (N=18) and without (N=16) major depressive disorder (MDD), and healthy-control subjects (N=13). Patients with CHF had left-ventricular ejection fractions <0.40 and were in the New York Heart Association functional class II or III. The authors used the SCID DSM-IV to diagnosis MDD. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels were significantly higher in patients with CHF and MDD as compared with healthy-control subjects. No differences regarding tumor necrosis factor(alpha) or interleukin(6) were found among the three groups.