Effect of coronary artery bypass graft surgery on older women's health-related quality of life.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine if health-related quality of life (HRQL) improves after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in older women.


METHODS
The study design was longitudinal observational.


METHODS
The study took place in a tertiary-care teaching hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.


METHODS
Study participants included 34 women 61 years or older who had elective or urgent CABG surgery for the first time. OUTSOME MEASURES: The 2 measures of HRQL were the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 and the Feeling Thermometer (FT). The Short Form-36 is composed of 8 subscales that are summarized into the Physical and the Mental Composite Scores. The FT is a utility measure that rates patients' preferences for different health states.


RESULTS
HRQL of older women was improved after CABG surgery: 7.79 points in the physical composite scores (P = .001), 7.26 in the mental composite scores (P = .008), and 29.77 points in the FT scores (P < .001). Age was a predictor of HRQL, with older women demonstrating poorer physical and better mental HRQL 3 months after the operation.


CONCLUSIONS
HRQL of older women is improved significantly as early as 3 months after CABG surgery.
Baldassarre
Fulvia G
FG
Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Arthur
Heather M
HM
Dicenso
Alba
A
Guyatt
Gordon
G
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009864:Ontario; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis