Patients with heart failure and a LVEF less than 40% present an overall lower health related quality of life than those with LVEF between 40% and 60%: a multinational real-world survey in EU

Background and purpose Heart Failure (HF) is associated with symptoms such as dyspnoea and fatigue which can impact patients' health related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to characterize and assess the HRQoL of patients with HF and left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <40% versus those with ≥40%-60%. Methods A cross-sectional study of patients with HF was conducted in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom. Patient record forms (PRFs) were completed by 257 cardiologists and 158 general practitioners (GPs) for consecutively consulting patients. The same patients were invited to provide patient-reported outcomes including self-completion questionnaires, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) and EQ-5D-5L VAS. Results 204 HF patients with LVEF <40% (mean age 67.7 years) and 600 patients with LVEF ≥40–60% (mean age 68.9 years) were included. Proportion of males was significantly higher in the lower LVEF group (73.5% vs. 61.2%, p=0.0017). Overall, the patients with lower LVEF more frequently presented with comorbidities than those with LVEF ≥40–60% (p<0.05, Figure 1). NYHA stage III/IV (35.8%/7.4% vs. 15.3%/0.8%) as well as self-reported HF symptoms were more frequently reported in the lower LVEF group (p<0.05, Figure 1). Similarly, patients with LVEF <40% reported statistically significantly worse HRQoL compared to those with LVEF ≥40–60% (Table 1). Conclusions The HRQoL of all HF patients with LVEF ≤60% appears impacted, while those with LVEF <40% had significantly worse HRQoL than those with LVEF ≥40–60%. These differences in HRQoL may not only be related to the LVEF but also to the overall characteristics of these patients. Addressing the HRQoL burden for patients should be a key aspect of HF management strategies for all HF patients. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Private company. Main funding source(s): Novartis Pharma AG