Health-related quality of life in women with coronary artery disease.
BACKGROUND
Women with coronary artery disease (CAD) have reported worse health-related quality of life (HRQOL) than men.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to explore HRQOL in women with CAD undergoing coronary angiography. Specifically, the effects of age and depressive symptoms on HRQOL were examined.


METHODS
Data were obtained from the Alberta Provincial Project for Outcome Assessment in Coronary Heart Disease (APPROACH) database. A total of 1034 women underwent coronary angiography between February, 2004 and January, 2005. Questionnaires measuring HRQOL and depressive symptoms were mailed within 1 week of index cardiac catheterization.


RESULTS
There were 437 women (42.3%) who responded to the questionnaires. After adjusting HRQOL scores for sociodemographic and clinical variables, depressive symptoms were the strongest predictor of HRQOL; increased age was associated with worse physical functioning and positive disease perception; higher BMI with anginal stability; revascularization with anginal stability and treatment satisfaction.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, the variables measured accounted for a small proportion of the variance in HRQOL. Further research is needed to understand the complex relationship among age, depressive symptoms, and HRQOL in women with CAD.
Broddadottir
Hallveig
H
University of Alberta, Canada.
Jensen
Louise
L
Norris
Colleen
C
Graham
Michelle
M
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires