Quality of life of patients with pacemakers

Introduction. Single-chamber and dual-chamber pacemakers are used for the treatment of bradycardia. Dual-chamber pacemakers more closely replicate physiological cardiac function by preserving atrioventricular synchrony, whereas single-chamber pacemakers are less complex, more cost-effective, and easier to implant. Clinical trials comparing these two pacing modalities have reported inconsistent results, largely depending on the studied population and study design. The AQUAREL questionnaire is a disease-specific instrument designed to assess life quality of life in patients with pacemakers. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of life of patients with single-chamber and dual-chamber pacemakers using the AQUAREL questionnaire. Material and Methods. After providing informed consent, 80 patients treated at the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases of Vojvodina completed the AQUAREL questionnaire. Inclusion criteria were age ?60 years and implantation of either a single or dual-chamber pacemaker. These criteria were met by 69 patients, including 33 with single-chamber and 36 with dual-chamber pacemakers. Data were obtained from the Institute?s digital medical record. Statistical analysis was performed using standard methods. Results. The mean age of the patients was 76 years; 42 participants (63.77%) were male, and 92.75% had at least one comorbidity. Analysis of AQUAREL questionnaire scores revealed no statistically significant differences in overall quality of life between patients with single-chamber and dual-chamber pacemakers. Conclusion. Although patients with dual-chamber pacemakers reported fewer severe symptoms compared with those with single-chamber pacemakers, the difference was not statistically significant. Overall, no significant difference in quality of life was observed between patients according to pacemaker type.