Predictors of quality of life in patients with heart failure.
OBJECTIVE
To understand quality of life (QOL) and the effects of sociodemographics, disease severity, physical symptoms (dyspnea and fatigue), and depression on QOL of heart failure (HF) patients in Taiwan.


METHODS
Adult HF patients with history of cerebral vascular accident, myocardial infarction within the previous 6 months, major diseases, concurrent cancers, and coexisting terminal diseases, cognitive impairments, or residence in institutions, were excluded in this study. Quality of life, physical symptoms, and depression were measured by the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire, Pulmonary Function Status and Dyspnea Questionnaire, and Brief Symptom Inventory depression subscale, respectively. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to examine the correlations of demographics, disease severity, physical symptoms, and depression with QOL in HF patients.


RESULTS
One hundred and thirty-three HF patients (64.2 ± 12.7 years, 78.2% male, 36.1% NYHA III/IV) were recruited in the study. In the final regression model, age, duration of HF, physical symptoms, and depression had a significant impact on global QOL, ultimately accounting for 37.6% of the variance of QOL.


CONCLUSIONS
Age, duration of HF, physical symptoms, and depression are important predictors of QOL in HF patients. Interventions targeting physical symptoms and depression are expected to improve QOL of HF patients.
Meiho University, Pingtung, Taiwan.
Shiow-Li
SL
Hwang
Wen-Chun
WC
Liao
Tsuey-Yuan
TY
Huang
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life
depression; heart failure; physical symptoms; quality of life