Health-related quality of life is poor but does not vary with cardiovascular disease burden among patients operated for severe atherosclerotic disease

Patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are reported to have a poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared to healthy age- and gender-matched individuals. Moreover, HRQoL seems to predict survival in CVD populations. We studied HRQoL and the association with outcome during follow-up in a population undergoing surgery for peripheral artery disease or cerebrovascular large artery disease. In the Athero-Express biobank cohort study patients filled in a questionnaire containing RAND-36. We stratified the cohort to compare HRQoL scores (range 0–100, higher scores representing better HRQoL) and assessed three-year event-free survival for composite cardiovascular endpoints of patients with good (above median) versus poor (equal to and below median) HRQoL at baseline. Additionally we compared the cohort to a healthy age-matched population. 2012 and 865 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or endarterectomy of femoral/iliac arteries (FEA) were included respectively. The median HRQoL was 75 (IQR 0–100 (both patient groups)) for physical role limitations versus 0 (IQR 0–100 (CEA) and 0–66.7 (FEA)) for emotional role limitations. No differences in HRQoL subscores were found, CVD burden did not associate with HRQoL and three-year composite event rates did not associate with the reported HRQoL in both CEA and FEA. Both groups had poor HRQoL scores compared to an age-matched general population, especially regarding emotional role limitations and social functioning. HRQoL is poor and does not associate with CVD burden within patients suffering from severe atherosclerotic disease. Reported HRQoL was not associated with incident cardiovascular events during follow-up.