To explore the developmental trajectories of fatigue during the vulnerable phase in elderly patients with heart failure and to analyze their influencing factors.

A total of 291 elderly patients during the vulnerable phase with heart failure were selected from a tertiary grade A hospital in Shandong province as the study subjects by a convenience sampling method from August 2023 to August 2024.Follow-up assessments were conducted at four time points during the vulnerable phase.Data were collected using a general information questionnaire,the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20(MFI-20),the Insomnia Severity Index(ISI),the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7(GAD-7),Patient Health Questionnaire-9(PHQ-9),and the Perceived social support scale(PSSS).Latent class growth modeling(LCGA) was used to explore the classification of the developmental trajectories of fatigue during the vulnerable phase in elderly heart failure patients.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify influencing factors.

Three fatigue developmental trajectories during the vulnerable phase were identified in elderly patients with heart failure,namely a persistently high-level group(71.8%),a group that first decreased and then increased(12.4%),and a low-level with relief group(15.8%).Logistic regression analysis showed that age,number of comorbidities,left ventricular ejection fraction,insomnia,anxiety,depression,social support,and marital status were influencing factors for the classification of the developmental trajectories of fatigue during the vulnerable phase in elderly patients with heart failure(all P<0.05).

There is group heterogeneity in the classification of the developmental trajectories of fatigue during the vulnerable phase in elderly patients with heart failure.Different trajectories have distinct influencing factors.Healthcare providers should implement targeted interventions to improve patients' prognosis.