title: Relationship between chronic complications, hypertension, and health-related quality of life in Portuguese patients with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the presence or absence of hypertension and diabetes-related chronic complications in type 2 diabetes, and also the association between HRQoL and the number of chronic complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred patients with type 2 diabetes were interviewed. HRQoL was evaluated using the age-adjusted Short-Form 36 dimensions (physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the study population was 62.7±8.7 years; 54.0% were male, and 51.0% were receiving only oral hypoglycemic agents. Chronic complications were related to worse HRQoL in different dimensions: peripheral neuropathy and cardiovascular disease (all, except bodily pain), retinopathy (physical functioning, general health, vitality, and mental health), peripheral arterial disease (physical functioning, role-physical, and general health), and nephropathy (general health and vitality). Hypertension was related to worse general health and vitality. An increased number of chronic complications was associated with worse HRQoL in all dimensions of Short-Form 36 except for the bodily pain dimension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence and increased number of diabetes-related chronic complications, and the presence of hypertension were related to worse age-adjusted HRQoL. Peripheral neuropathy and cardiovascular disease were more strongly related to age-adjusted HRQoL.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal ; Associação de Prevenção e Apoio à Diabetes, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sepúlveda
authors.affiliation: Associação de Prevenção e Apoio à Diabetes, Porto, Portugal ; Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poínhos
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK ; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Loures, Portugal.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Constante
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal ; Associação de Prevenção e Apoio à Diabetes, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pais-Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Centro Hospitalar São João, Porto, Portugal ; Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal ; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Centro Hospitalar São João, Porto, Portugal ; Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal ; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carvalho
keywords: cardiovascular disease; nephropathy; peripheral arterial disease; peripheral neuropathy; retinopathy