CORRELATES OF FATIGUE IN OLDER WOMEN WITH HEART-FAILURE

Objective: To examine the relative contribution of psychologic factors and physical symptoms to the variance in fatigue in older women with heart failure. Methods: Eighty women who had been hospitalized in the previous 12 months for heart failure were interviewed, Fifty-seven wom en completed second interviews 18 months after the first interview. Re sults: Fatigue was the most frequently occurring physical symptom at b oth measurement times, and it significantly increased with time. Other physical symptoms contributed uniquely to the variance in fatigue at both measurement times, but psychologic factors did not, At time 1, sl eep difficulties, chest pain, and weakness each explained unique varia nce in fatigue. At time 2, dyspnea was the only variable that explaine d unique variance in fatigue (9%), Dyspnea also explained a significan t portion of the variance (7%) in time 2 fatigue, when time 1 fatigue was controlled. Conclusions: Fatigue in older women with heart failure is related more to other physical symptoms than psychologic factors.