title: [Disease-specific quality of life in primary care patients with heart failure].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quality of Life (QoL) is an important predictor of mortality and re-admission in patients with heart failure (HF). Our aim was to analyze disease-specific quality of life and its relationship to psycho-social factors and HF severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  In primary care patients with HF, quality of life (MLHFQ), anxiety, depression (HADS) and negative affectivity (DS-14), disease coping (FKV) and social support (F-SozU) were measured by validated questionnaires. Severity of HF (according to NYHA classification and Goldman's Specific Activity Scale) and sociodemographic characteristics were documented by self-report instruments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  363 patients from 44 general practices participated in the study (191 [52.6%] female). Women had more physical but not more emotional problems than men. Increased emotional and physical problems and global disease-related impairment in QoL (F = 63.29; p < 0.001) correlated with higher HF classes. Using regression analysis, more than 50% of the QoL values were predicted by psychological variables and perceived severity (significant for depression [HADS; p < 0.001], coping by dissimulation and wishful thinking [FKV; p = 0.027], HF severity [NYHA, Goldman;
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychosocial distress is a strong predictor of QoL impairment in primary care patients with HF. Because of its impact on both long-term prognosis and disease-specific QoL, psychosocial symptoms should be considered essential for the diagnosis and therapy in the routine care of patients with HF.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung AlIgemeinmedizin, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. mschere@gwdg.de
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stanske
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wetzel
authors.forename: Janka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koschack
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kochen
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herrmann-Lingen
mesh_terms: D004644:Emotions; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011584:Psychology; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires