title: Diabetes mellitus and hypertension have comparable adverse effects on health-related quality of life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people with diabetes or hypertension, estimate the effect of cardiovascular comorbidities on HRQoL as well as compare HRQoL in these groups with that of healthy individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 9,070 respondents aged 18 years and over were assessed for HRQoL. Data were obtained from the Croatian Adult Health Survey. Respondents were divided into five groups according to their medical history: participants with hypertension (RR), hypertension and cardiovascular comorbidities (RR+), diabetes mellitus (DM), diabetes and cardiovascular comorbidities (DM+) and participants free of these conditions (healthy individuals, HI). HRQoL was assessed on 8 dimensions of the SF-36 questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants with diabetes and those with hypertension reported comparably limited (p > 0.05) HRQoL in all dimensions of SF-36, compared with healthy individuals (p < 0.05). If cardiovascular comorbidities were present, both participants with diabetes and participants with hypertension had lower results on all SF-36 scales (p > 0.05) than participants without such comorbidities (p < 0.05). The results remained after adjustment for sociodemographic variables (age, sex, employment, financial status and education).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diabetes and hypertension seem to comparably impair HRQoL. Cardiovascular comorbidities further reduce HRQoL in participants with both chronic conditions. Future research of interventions aimed at improving these participants' HRQoL is needed.
authors.affiliation: Vuk Vrhovac University Clinic, Zagreb, Croatia. tamara.poljicanin@idb.hr
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Poljicanin
authors.forename: Dea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ajduković
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sekerija
authors.forename: Mirjana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pibernik-Okanović
authors.forename: Zeljko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Metelko
authors.forename: Gorka
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vuletić Mavrinac
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D017523:Croatia; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult