title: Prospective evaluation of health-related quality of life in patients with deep venous thrombosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To our knowledge, the burden of deep venous thrombosis from the patient's perspective has not been quantified. We evaluated health-related quality of life (QOL) after deep vein thrombosis and compared results with general population norms.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a multicenter prospective cohort study of 359 consecutive eligible patients with deep vein thrombosis recruited at 7 Canadian hospital centers. Quality of life was assessed at baseline and at 1 and 4 months after diagnosis using generic (36-Item Short-Form Health Survey) and disease-specific (Venous Insufficiency Epidemiological and Economic Study [VEINES]-QOL and VEINES symptom [VEINES-Sym] questionnaires) measures. Changes in QOL scores during the 4-month period were calculated, and determinants of lack of improvement in QOL were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 4 months, mean 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey physical and mental component summary scores improved by 5.1 and 4.6 points, respectively, and VEINES-QOL and VEINES-Sym scores improved by 3.1 and 2.2 points, respectively (P < .001 for time trend for all measures). However, about one third of patients had worsening of QOL during follow-up. Multivariate analyses showed that worsening of the postthrombotic syndrome score was an independent predictor of worsening of 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey physical component summary (P = .04), VEINES-QOL (P < .001), and VEINES-Sym (P < .001) scores. The 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey physical component summary scores were lower than population norms at all points assessed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On average, QOL improves during the 4 months following deep vein thrombosis. However, in about one third of patients, QOL deteriorates, and at 4 months, average QOL remains poorer than population norms. Worsening of the postthrombotic syndrome score is associated with worsening of QOL.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Community Studies, Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. susan.kahn@mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Susan R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ducruet
authors.forename: Donna L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Lamping
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arsenault
authors.forename: Marie Jose
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Miron
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roussin
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Desmarais
authors.forename: France
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Joyal
authors.forename: Jeannine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kassis
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Solymoss
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Desjardins
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johri
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shrier
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010690:Phlebography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011792:Quebec; D012044:Regression Analysis; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology*