Health-related quality of life in elderly patients with familial hypercholesterolemia.
OBJECTIVE
There are very few descriptions on how familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a genetic disorder with an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), affects older patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of elderly patients with FH.


METHODS
All FH patients with the same FH North Karelia-mutation aged 65 and over living in North Karelia province in Eastern Finland were asked to participate in the study in 2003. They were compared with age-standardized controls from the Finnish general population. A total of forty-three elderly FH patients were identified and thirty-seven of them (aged 65 to 84 years, M/F 10/27) agreed to participate. Most of them (27/37) had been diagnosed with CHD. All but one of these FH patients had been using statins for approximately 15 years. HRQoL was assessed with the RAND-36 (SF-36) and 15D instruments.


RESULTS
Despite the clear cardiovascular morbidity and low socioeconomic status, these FH patients enjoyed a similar HRQoL as the age-standardized controls in the general population.


CONCLUSIONS
Lifelong hypercholesterolemia was not associated with poorer HRQoL in elderly survivors of FH. These elderly FH individuals were characterized by their healthy lifestyle and long-term statin treatment.
Hyttinen
Laura
L
North Karelia Central Hospital, Joensuu, Finland. laura.hyttinen@pkssk.fi
Kekäläinen
Päivi
P
Vuorio
Alpo F
AF
Sintonen
Harri
H
Strandberg
Timo E
TE
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015897:Comorbidity; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents