Hospitalized patients with diastolic heart failure reported similarly low quality of life compared to those with systolic heart failure, differing only in ankle oedema and health-care orientation.
Cross-Sectional (n=186)
What is the quality of life and what factors relate to it in older hospitalized patients with systolic and diastolic heart failure?
Older hospitalized heart failure patients, regardless of whether they have systolic or diastolic dysfunction, experience significantly compromised functional capabilities and low quality of life compared to typical clinical trial populations.
AIMS: To get insight into the quality of life of a clinical practice sample of patients with heart failure that are admitted to the hospital. Secondly to determine differences between patients with systolic and diastolic dysfunction and finally to describe factors relating to quality of life. METHODS: Three dimensions of quality of life (functional capabilities, symptoms and psychosocial adjustment to illness) were assessed during interviews of 186 patients with chronic heart failure. In addition, data on demographic, clinical and self-care characteristics were collected and patients completed a 6-min walk. RESULTS: On average patients walked 172 m in 6 min and reported functioning in daily life at a mean level of 4.5 MET. Patients experienced four different symptoms of heart failure. Most of them described dyspnea, fatigue, sleep disturbance and ankle oedema. Problems with psychosocial adaptation occurred mostly in social and vocational domains. Overall well-being of patients was rated as 6.4 on a 10-point scale. In regard to quality of life, the only differences between patients with systolic and diastolic heart failure was the occurrence of ankle oedema and health-care orientation. The variance in components of quality of life were partly explained by demographics and clinical characteristics. All three dimensions of quality of life were related to ability for self-care. CONCLUSION: Patients with heart failure seen in clinical practice are often not comparable to patients described in major clinical trials or patients that are admitted for transplant evaluation. Their functional capabilities are more compromised, but they may have fewer problems with psychosocial adjustment. Patients with normal systolic dysfunction also report a low quality of life. It could be important to enhance self-care abilities of patients to improve psychosocial adaptation to illness.
Jaarsma et al. (Tue,) conducted a cross-sectional in Chronic heart failure (n=186). Diastolic heart failure vs. Systolic heart failure was evaluated on Quality of life (functional capabilities, symptoms, and psychosocial adjustment). Hospitalized patients with diastolic heart failure reported similarly low quality of life compared to those with systolic heart failure, differing only in ankle oedema and health-care orientation.