Quality of life in elderly patients with dizziness: analysis of the Short-Form Health Survey in 197 patients.
CONCLUSIONS
Elderly patients with chronic dizziness had a poor HRQoL, which could be successfully assessed using the SF-36, a generic health-status instrument. The frequency of dizziness and comorbid psychological distress were predictive of impairment in QoL.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its relationship to characteristics of dizziness in elderly persons with chronic dizziness.


METHODS
A standardized dizziness questionnaire was used to evaluate characteristics of dizziness as well as medical, functional and demographic data in 197 consecutive patients with chronic dizziness aged > or =60 years. HRQoL was evaluated using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).


RESULTS
Compared with normative data, results from patients with dizziness indicated a pervasive multidimensional decline in SF-36 scores. This decline was most notable in terms of role limitations in the physical and emotional dimensions. The frequency of attacks of dizziness correlated with perceived disability. Patients with chronic dizziness also had great psychological distress, as measured by the HADS score, which had a detrimental influence on their QoL.
Hsu
Li-Chi
LC
Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Hu
Han-Hwa
HH
Wong
Wen-Jang
WJ
Wang
Shuu-Jiun
SJ
Luk
Yun-On
YO
Chern
Chang-Ming
CM
D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004244:Dizziness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires