Quality of life in patients with ischaemic heart disease: a prospective controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess quality of life in patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), coronary artery by-pass grafting surgery (CABG) and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) as compared with healthy controls.


METHODS
Self-administered questionnaires were completed 1 month and 1 year after the event.


METHODS
Department of Cardiology, University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden; 1989-1992.


METHODS
296 AMI, 99 CABG, 18 PTCA patients and 88 randomly selected healthy controls were included; 349 patients completed the entire programme.


METHODS
Quality of life in the dimensions of perceived general health, thoracic pain, breathlessness, feeling of arrhythmia, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, experience of social life and sex life.


RESULTS
Patients differed from controls in both psychological and somatic aspects of QL after 1 month. Furthermore, 1 month after the event AMI patients experienced more anxiety (P = 0.001) than CABG patients, whilst CABG patients experienced a poorer sex life (P < 0.001) than AMI patients. One year after the event patients differed from controls primarily in somatic symptoms: no significant differences were found across patient groups. Patients who sought emergency out-patient care during the follow-up year for clinically diagnosed angina pectoris or cardiac incompensation had reported higher levels of thoracic pain (P < 0.001) and breathlessness (P < 0.001) at 1 month follow-up than patients who did not seek such care.


CONCLUSIONS
Quality of life is considerably affected in patients following a cardiac event, especially during the initial recovery phase. Although substantial improvement in quality of life occurs over time, the persistence of residual distress at 1-year follow-up is a challenge for clinicians concerned with the full rehabilitation of the cardiac patient.
Westin
L
L
Department of Cardiology, University of Lund, University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.
Carlsson
R
R
Israelsson
B
B
Willenheimer
R
R
Cline
C
C
McNeil
T F
TF
D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000523:psychology; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires