title: Health-related quality of life, social support, and caregiver burden between six and 120 months after heart transplantation: a Spanish multicenter cross-sectional study.
abstract: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the current heart transplant (HTx) outcomes in Spain. Clinical and functional status, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), social support, and caregiver burden were analyzed in 303 adult transplant recipients (77.9% males) living with one functioning graft. Mean age at time of HTx (SD) was 56.4 (11.4) years, and the reason for transplantation in all patients was congestive heart failure. All patients had received a first heart transplant 6 (± 1), 12 (± 2), 36 (± 6), 60 (± 10), or 120 (± 20) months previously. Participants completed the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), the EQ-5D, the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire, and the Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale. Reasonable HRQoL, social support, and caregiver burden levels were found at all time points, although a slight decrease in HRQoL was recorded at 120 months (p ≤ 0.033). Multivariate regression analyses showed that complications, comorbidities, and hospitalizations were associated with HRQoL (EQ-5D: 48.4% of explained variance, F4,164 = 38.46, p < 0.001; KCCQ overall summary score: 45.0%, F3,198 = 54.073, p < 0.001). Patient functional capabilities and complications affected caregiver burden (p < 0.05). In conclusion, HTx patients reported reasonable levels of HRQoL with low caregiver burden. Clinical variables related to these outcomes included functional status, complications, and number of admissions.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Almenar
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: González-Vilchez
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Arizón
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fuente
authors.affiliation: Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brossa
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pascual
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lage
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanz
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Manito
authors.affiliation: Complejo Hospitalario de A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Crespo-Leiro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: caregiver; comorbidity; heart transplantation; outcome assessment; quality of life