Hypertension and Quality of Life of Patients With Heart Failure

Abstract

Objective:The increasing prevalence and poor prognosis associated with chronic heart failure (CHF) have made the improvement of quality of life (QoL) one of the main goals in the treatment of CHF patients. The aim of the study was to assess if hypertension was associated with QoL in a sample of patients ospitalised with HF.Design and method:In this prospective study, we evaluated patients with CHF attending the cardiology department of Habib Thameur University Hospital in a four-month period. Echocardiography was performed and patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 45% or less were selected. QoL assessment was performed with a disease-specific instrument: the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) in a sample of 100 selected patients.Results:In the total sample (n = 100), mean age was 62.7 years. The majority were male (77%), married (76%), with a mean of 2.5 comorbidities, and in a New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III to IV (61%). Mean LVEF was 36%. Half of the patients had poor QoL on the total MLHFQ scale (median = 41,5) as well as on its physical (median = 17,5) and emotional (median = 11,25) domains. In univariate analysis, a history of hypertension was a factor of poor quality of life with a calculated odds ratio of 2.263, its presence alters the total score by approximately 14 points (p = 0.045), the physical score by approximately 11 points (p = 0.009) and the emotional by seven points (p = 0.005).In multivariate analysis, hypertension was not associated with poor Qol.Conclusions:This study has found that hypertension was a factor of poor quality of life among patients with heart failure in univariate analysis.

Investigating Occupation, Ejection Fraction, and Comorbidity Factors with Quality of Life in Heart Failure Patients: A Cross-sectional Study in Indonesia

“…Also supported by the study, comorbid factors can affect the quality of life of heart failure patients (5). A previous study also stated that hypertension is comorbid that decreases the quality of life in heart failure patients (24).…”