Evaluation of Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Heart Diseases at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background

Cardiovascular diseases damage the heart and blood arteries. Cardiovascular disorders account for 31% of all fatalities worldwide, ultimately resulting in death, according to the WHO. A blood clot (thrombosis) or a build-up of fat deposits within an artery (atherosclerosis) can both cause a decrease in blood flow to the heart, given the significant impact on patient’s lives posed by cardiovascular diseases.

Purpose

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) of patients with heart diseases by using the SF-36 and SAQ-CAN questionnaires.

Materials and Methods

A six-month cross-sectional study involving 170 individuals was conducted in the cardiology department.

Results

In our study involving 150 Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) patients, we found a significant correlation between age, gender and diagnosis, with HRQOL using the SAQ-CAN questionaries. Among 20 patients who are other than ACS, we found that Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) were positively correlated with age, gender and diagnosis in study subjects. Age was significantly correlated with Physical Functioning (PF) and Role Limitations due to Physical health (RLPF), while Emotional Well-Being (EW-B) positively correlated with gender and energy/fatigue positively correlated with diagnosis. However, no significant correlation was found between PCS and gender or PCS and diagnosis.

Conclusion

Our research concluded that a number of factors might impact a patient’s HRQOL with Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). Determining these factors in advance can help identify individuals who are more likely to have poorer HRQOL.