The effect of selected health, demographic and psychosocial aspects on quality of life in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease--a prospective analysis.
BACKGROUND
Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) is a prevalent atherosclerotic disorder characterized by exertional limb pain, loss of limb, and a high mortality rate. Because of its chronic nature, it often has a negative impact on a patient quality of life (QoL). Aims. To evaluate the effect of selected health, demographic and psychosocial aspects on QoL in respondents with PAOD.


METHODS
The study is a prospective and cross-sectional. It was carried out at the 2nd Department of Medicine of Charles University Hospital at the Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic. Forty two respondents with PAOD (28 male, 14 female) were evaluated. All the respondents had involvement of femoral and popliteal arterial circulation. The number of all respondents in accordance with Fontaine classification was as follows: intermittent claudication: stage IIa - 4, stage IIb (<200 m) - 16, stage IIb (<50 m) - 9, chronic limb ischaemia: stage III - 6, stage IV - 7. The average age of all respondents was 65,4 years old (age range 45-79 years old). The study evaluates the effect of health aspects (stage of PAOD in accordance with Fontaine classification, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, obesity, smoking), demographic (age, sex) and psychosocial aspects (level of education, marital status, religion) on QoL in respondents with PAOD. The Czech version of the International Generic European Quality of Life Questionnaire - EQ-5D was used.


RESULTS
The statistical evaluation presents statistically a significant dependence of QoL in respondents with PAOD on age (p < 0,01) and the stage of PAOD in accordance with the Fontaine classification (p < 0,01). The effect of other health, demographic and psychosocial aspects was statistically insignificant.


CONCLUSIONS
The results had shown that with an increasing age and with a serious stage of PAOD in accordance with Fontaine classification, the QoL declines. The global QoL in respondents with PAOD is low.
University of Defence, Department of Field Internal Medicine, Faculty of Military Health Science, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic. ladislav.slovacek@seznam.cz
Ladislav
L
Slovácek
Birgita
B
Slováková
Vendelín
V
Chovanec
Petra
P
Vacková
Marie
M
Kaslíková
Helena
H
Bohutínská
Ladislav
L
Jebavý
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life