Estudio de la calidad de vida de pacientes con insuficiencia cardiaca en un Servicio de Medicina Interna

Introduction: Quality of life (QL) is an important objective in the treatment of patients with heart failure (HF). We have measured QL and different factors that can affect it in a group of patients hospitalized with HF. Methods: 34 patients with HF were cross-examined by means of a specific questionnaire: The "Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire" (MLWHFQ). Blood analyses, ecocardiographic measurements and specific questionnaires, were also carried out in order to evaluate other parameters which could affect QL: Age, sex, comorbilidity, number of drugs taken, left ventricular ejection fraction, nutritional status, cognitive function, depression and functional capacity in daily life. Results: QL measured by means of the MLWHFQ was quite high (mean: 34.3). The other tests yielded values within normality or next to normality. Depression was the factor more clearly associated with patients' quality of life (p = 0.0001). We also found a statistically significant association with left ventricular ejection fraction (p = 0.03), age (p = 0.008) and albuminemia (p = 0.01). Conclusions: In our group of patients, QL was conditioned by depression, left ventricular ejection fraction, age and albuminemia.