Redefining psychocardiology: Integrating depression management into heart failure care for enhanced long-term recovery and prognosis

Figure 1 Bidirectional relationship between heart failure and depression and their impact on clinical outcomes. This figure illustrates the bidirectional relationship between heart failure and depression, where heart failure worsens depression by reducing left ventricular function, increasing hospitalization rates, and impairing exercise capacity, while depression in turn impairs self-care, increases inflammation, and reduces physical activity, leading to poorer outcomes and increased mortality risk.