title: Health related quality of life in hypertensive patients in a tertiary care teaching hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quality of life (QOL) evaluation has emerged as an important outcome measure for chronic diseases like hypertension.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine QOL in patients suffering from hypertension using MINICHAL and WHOQOL-BREF tools.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was carried out for eight weeks in medicine outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital. All patients diagnosed with essential hypertension and on drug therapy for at least one month were included. Their socio-demographic and clinical data were noted. Patients were interviewed for QOL using two questionnaires - WHOQOL-BREF and MINICHAL scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total 269 patients had mean age and duration of hypertension 58.25 ± 10.35 and 7.65 ± 8.00 years respectively. Age, duration of illness, number of symptoms, systolic blood pressure and number of drugs prescribed showed statistically significant (P < 0.05) negative correlation with WHOQOL-BREF score while number of symptoms, systolic blood pressure and duration of illness showed statistically significant positive correlation with MINICHAL scale (P < 0.05). MINICHAL scale and WHOQOL-BREF were significantly correlated with each other (P < 0.01). Women had significantly poorer QOL compared to men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age, female gender, duration, number of symptoms, systolic blood pressure and number of medications may be important predictors of QOL in hypertensive patients.
authors.forename: Bhavit B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Oza
authors.forename: Bela M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Supriya D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.forename: Varsha J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents