Health-related quality of life of patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators compared with that of pacemaker recipients.
OBJECTIVE
Studies indicate a poorer quality of life (QoL) for implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) patients than for the general population. However, studies comparing the QoL of ICD patients with that of patients with other implantable cardiac devices are scarce. We hypothesized that ICD patients had a poorer QoL than pacemaker patients.


RESULTS
All ICD patients living in Iceland at the beginning of 2002 (44 subjects), and a comparison group of 81 randomly selected patients with pacemakers were invited to participate. The Icelandic Quality of Life Questionnaire (IQL), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were submitted to measure QoL, psychiatric distress, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. The ICD and pacemaker groups did not differ on IQL, BAI, BDI, or GHQ scores. ICD patients were as a group more fearful of death (P = 0.056) and showed more concerns about returning to work (P = 0.072), although these items fell just short of statistical significance.


CONCLUSIONS
Contrary to our expectations, ICD patients had a comparable QoL with pacemaker recipients and were not more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, or general psychiatric distress. These findings are encouraging in view of expanding ICD indications.
Leosdottir
Margret
M
Department of Medicine, Landspitali University Hospital, Hringbraut, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland.
Sigurdsson
Engilbert
E
Reimarsdottir
Gudrun
G
Gottskalksson
Gizur
G
Torfason
Bjarni
B
Vigfusdottir
Margret
M
Eggertsson
Sveinn
S
Arnar
David O
DO
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires