Effect of cognitive behavioral therapy for heart failure A systematic review protocol of randomized controlled trial

Background: This proposed study will systematically assess the effect and safety of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for heart failure (HF). Methods: We will search the following electronic databases for randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of CBT in patients with HF: PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Information, and Wanfang Data from their inceptions to present without any language limitations. Two authors will independently conduct the study selection, data extraction, and methodological quality assessment. The methodological quality will be evaluated by Cochrane risk of bias tool. Results: This study will assess the efficacy and safety of CBT for patients with HF. The primary outcomes consist of depression and anxiety. The secondary outcomes comprise of all-cause mortality, change in body weight, urine output, change in serum sodium; and any adverse events. Conclusion: The results of this study will summarize the up-to-date evidence on the effect and safety of CBT for HF.