Memory Performance among Taiwanese Postmenopausal Women with Heart Failure

Abstract

Memory deficits have been reported in patients with chronic HF (heart failure). However, little is known about memory performance and the factors that explain memory performance in women with HF. The purposes of this study were to (a) examine the memory performance among Taiwanese postmenopausal women with heart failure (HF) compared to age- and education-matched healthy women, and to determine the factors that explain memory performance in women with HF, (b) evaluate the validity of the Chinese version of the CogState battery among women with HF in Taiwan, and (c) examine type, frequency, and severity of menopausal symptoms in women with HF, compared with healthy participants, and to explore the association between menopausal symptoms and memory performance among Taiwanese postmenopausal women with HF. A cross-sectional design was used in this study. Seventy-six women with HF and 64 healthy women were recruited from one medical center in Taipei, Taiwan. Women completed memory tests and measures of demographic variables, menopausal symptoms, HF severity symptoms, and global cognitive function. Clinical variables were obtained from medical records. Descriptive statistics, comparative statistics, exploratory factor analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analyses were used. Women with HF performed significantly worse than healthy women on working and verbal memory tests. Among women with HF, older age explained working memory; older age, higher HF severity, more comorbidities, and systolic HF explained verbal memory. In addition, the Chinese CogState Battery had satisfactory construct and c onvergent validity. Furthermore, women with HF had worse menopausal symptoms on subscales for psychological (anxiety and depressive), somatic, and vasomotor symptoms compared with healthy women. Anxiety and sexual symptoms were significantly associated with visual and verbal memory performance. In summary, the Chinese CogState Battery is a valid measure of memory performance in Taiwanese women with HF. Women with HF had poorer memory performance and more severe menopausal symptoms compared with healthy women. Nurses and health care professionals should assist women with HF by early assessment and recommendations regarding compensation for memory deficits. Interventions tailored to these identified factors can be developed to improve memory performance for Taiwanese postmenopausal women with HF.