Gender Disparities in Long-Term Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients with Acute Pulmonary Embolism

INTRODUCTION: Gender disparities in long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after pulmonary embolism (PE) are only rarely investigated. The present study aimed to explore gender disparities in HRQOL of patients with PE up to 4 years after hospital discharge. METHODS: Data from the German "Lungenembolie Augsburg (LEA)" cohort study were used. Baseline characteristics of adult hospitalized patients with PE were collected during their hospital stay. Participants completed postal questionnaires at 3 months, 6 months, and then yearly for 4 years after their PE. The Pulmonary Embolism Quality of Life Questionnaire (PEmb-QoL) and the European Quality of Life Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) were used to measure HRQOL. Multivariable linear mixed models were applied to determine the association between gender and HRQOL. Interaction effects between gender and various covariables were examined. RESULTS: In 569 participants (45% women, mean age 62.9 ± 14.5 years), significant interaction effects of gender with other covariables were found in most subscales of the PEmb-QoL and the EQ-5D-5L. Among patients without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, women scored significantly worse in the subscales "limitations of activities of daily living" and "work-related problems." Among patients with obesity, women had significantly more limitations of activities of daily living than men. Among patients younger than 64 years, women had significantly more emotional complaints than men. The observed gender differences were restricted to the first 3 months after PE. CONCLUSION: Gender disparities regarding HRQOL were observed in specific subgroups and mainly occurred in the first 3 months after PE.