Marital status, quality of life, and clinical outcome in patients with heart failure.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the impact of having a partner on quality of life (QoL), the number of hospital readmissions, and 9-month survival in patients with heart failure (HF).


METHODS
The study population consisted of hospitalized patients with HF. QoL was measured by the Cantril Ladder of Life (0-10) during hospital admission. Clinical data, readmission rate, and number of deaths were registered by patient interview and chart review.


RESULTS
Of the 179 patients, 96 (54%) were married or were living with a partner. Differences in QoL between married patients and those living alone were most pronounced with regard to future expectations of QoL (6.5 vs 5.0, P=.00). However, in a multivariate model QoL was primarily associated with socioeconomic status, age, and gender. Married patients had 12% less events in the 9-month follow-up period compared with patients living alone (P=not significant).


CONCLUSIONS
This study indicates that most patients with HF who are living alone are mostly elderly women with a low socioeconomic status, who are at risk for recurrent events and a worse QoL.
Luttik
Marie Louise
ML
Department of Cardiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Jaarsma
Tiny
T
Veeger
Nic
N
van Veldhuisen
Dirk J
DJ
D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome