How is health-related quality of life affected in elderly patients with congestive heart failure compared to a normal reference population, and what clinical/demographic variables correlate with it?
Elderly patients with heart failure have significantly impaired quality of life compared to normal populations, with women and those in higher NYHA classes being most severely affected.
OBJECTIVE: To assess health-related quality of life (HRQL) in elderly patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and correlate these to clinical and demographic variables. PATIENTS AND METHODS: HRQL was evaluated in 191 patients with CHF, aged 65-84 years, using a self-administered questionnaire including the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), Quality of Life Questionnaire in Heart Failure and Patients' Global Self-Assessment. RESULTS: HRQL was more impaired in women than to men (p < 0.05), New York Heart Association functional class correlated to HRQL (p < 0.01) and HRQL, as assessed by NHP, was impaired in CHF patients compared to a previously evaluated, age and sex matched, normal reference population. CONCLUSION: Measurement of HRQL in heart failure patients provides important information in addition to a clinical evaluation, and inclusion of HRQL assessments in clinical practice is feasible and warranted. Specific intervention should be aimed at improving HRQL in those most severely affected.
Richard R. Cline (Fri,) studied this question.
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