title: Impact of diabetes mellitus on quality of life in patients with congestive heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Congestive heart failure (CHF) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are increasing in prevalence. There are conflicting data regarding the crosstalk of DM and CHF with respect to the prognostic impact for the patients. Health-related quality of life (Hr-QoL) has been reported to be useful for risk stratification. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of DM on Hr-QoL in a CHF population.
  
  
  METHODS
  325 consecutive patients with CHF were retrospectively analyzed (age 49 ± 12 years, 74.2% male, 18% had diabetes). After a median follow-up time of 7.4 years, we compared Hr-QoL of patients with and without DM. Hr-QoL was assessed using the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ). Kaplan-Meier curves were used to compare survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The presence of DM reduced Hr-QoL in patients with CHF, indicated by a higher overall MLHFQ score (43.5 vs. 21, P = 0.013). Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed a significant survival difference (P = 0.024). Survival rates of both groups differed significantly after 3 (P = 0.031), 5 (P = 0.006), and 10 years (P = 0.047) favoring the group without DM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with CHF, the coexistence of DM is associated with a reduced Hr-QoL and a particularly poor long-term survival. Our results indicate that CHF patients with DM are at increased risk.
authors: Clinic of Internal Medicine I, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747 Jena, Germany.
authors: Buntaro
authors: B
authors: Fujita
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Lauten
authors: Bjoern
authors: B
authors: Goebel
authors: Marcus
authors: M
authors: Franz
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Fritzenwanger
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Ferrari
authors: Hans R
authors: HR
authors: Figulla
authors: Friedhelm
authors: F
authors: Kuethe
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Jung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies