Adult congenital heart disease patients experience compromised quality of life in the physical domain compared to healthy counterparts, with no significant differences in psychosocial and environmental domains.
Systematic Review (n=31)
How does the quality of life of adult congenital heart disease patients compare to healthy counterparts, and what is the relationship with disease severity?
Adult congenital heart disease patients experience compromised physical quality of life compared to healthy individuals, highlighting the need for targeted interventions and standardized severity classifications.
AIMS: This review explores the quality of life of adult congenital heart disease patients and the relationship between disease severity and quality of life. METHODS: We searched seven electronic databases and the bibliography of articles. The 31 selected studies fulfilled the following criteria: adult population; quantitative; assessment of quality of life and/or impact of disease severity on quality of life using validated measures; English language. Data extraction forms were used to summarise the results. RESULTS: There are evident methodological limitations within the reviewed studies such as heterogeneous populations, designs, and quality of life conceptualisations and measurements. Despite these problems, findings suggest that the quality of life of adult congenital heart disease patients is compromised in the physical domain compared with their healthy counterparts, whereas no differences were found in relation to the psychosocial and environmental/occupational domain. Some severity variables appear to be significant correlates of quality of life and could be considered in a future standardised classification of disease severity. CONCLUSION: The methodological limitations of past research in relation to the definition and measurement of quality of life, the study designs, and disease severity classifications need to be addressed in future studies in order to provide robust evidence and valid conclusions in this area of study. This will enable the development of targeted interventions for the improvement of quality of life in the adult population of congenital heart disease patients.
Fteropoulli et al. (Wed,) conducted a systematic review in Adult congenital heart disease (n=31). Congenital heart disease vs. Healthy counterparts / general population was evaluated on Quality of life (physical, psychosocial, and environmental domains). Adult congenital heart disease patients experience compromised quality of life in the physical domain compared to healthy counterparts, with no significant differences in psychosocial and environmental domains.
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