Quality of life in a diverse population of patients with heart failure: BASELINE FINDINGS FROM THE HEART FAILURE ADHERENCE AND RETENTION TRIAL (HART).
OBJECTIVE
The exact role of psychosocial status in quality of life (QOL) of patients with heart failure (HF) is not fully clarified. This report investigates the association of depression and social support in 2 subdomains of QOL, overall satisfaction with QOL (S-QOL) and limitations in physical functioning (PF-QOL) in a diverse group of HF patients.


METHODS
Baseline data were used from a behavioral clinical trial, with complete information on 695 HF patients, of whom 33% were black and 24% had diastolic dysfunction. Data were collected via structured questionnaires, medical record review, and a 6-minute walk test. QOL outcomes included the Quality of Life Index (QLI) as a measure of S-QOL and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey Physical Functioning (SF-36 PF) scale as a measure of PF-QOL.


RESULTS
After adjustment for sociodemographic variables, clinical and functional characteristics of disease status accounted for 19% of the variance in the QLI. Depressive symptoms and social support were significantly associated with QLI scores (P < .001) and accounted for an additional 26% of the variance. Clinical and functional characteristics accounted for 33% of the variance in SF-36 PF scores, whereas depressive symptoms and social support accounted for an additional 1% of the variance.


CONCLUSIONS
Depression and social support play a substantially greater role in S-QOL than in perceived limitations in basic physical functions. Targeting depression and low social support may be more important to improve overall QOL, whereas medical management of HF symptoms and functional capacity may have a greater impact on reducing basic physical limitations.
de Leon
Carlos F Mendes
CF
Department of Preventive Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA.
Grady
Kathleen L
KL
Eaton
Claudia
C
Rucker-Whitaker
Cheryl
C
Janssen
Imke
I
Calvin
James
J
Powell
Lynda H
LH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult