Health related quality of life of patients with infective endocarditis – a cross-sectional study based on data from the DERIVE cohort

Objectives Infective endocarditis (IE) remains a severe condition with high morbidity and mortality despite advances in diagnostics and therapy. Health-related quality of life (HRQL) is an important outcome, yet high quality data on HRQL in patients with IE are limited as most studies focused exclusively on surgically treated patients and did not assess HRQL at a defined time point. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was performed on HRQL data from 259 patients diagnosed with IE between 11/2019 and 09/2023, derived from the prospective German DERIVE cohort. HRQL was evaluated twelve months after diagnosis using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire and the EQ visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS). Descriptive and non-parametric analyses were applied to compare HRQL across subgroups. Results Of 338 one-year survivors, complete HRQL data were available for 259 patients (77 %). Median EQ-5D-5L index was 0.91 (IQR 0.73–0.97), indicating persistent impairment compared with the general population. Female patients had lower HRQL than males (median EQ-5D index 0.89 versus 0.91) and higher impairments in anxiety, pain, and usual activities. Younger patients (<55 years) experienced higher overall HRQL but more pain and anxiety, while patients older than 65 years reported greater physical limitations. No significant difference in EQ-5D index was observed between surgically and conservatively treated patients (0.91 vs. 0.90), however surgical treated patients reported higher levels of anxiety one year after diagnosis. Conclusions Patients with IE experience persistent reductions in HRQL one year after diagnosis, affecting nearly all domains of daily life. The data highlights the importance of incorporating patient-reported outcomes into clinical management and long-term follow-up.