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Ventoulis I, Kamperidis V, Abraham MR, Abraham T, Boultadakis A, Tsioukras E, Katsiana A, Georgiou K, Parissis J, Polyzogopoulou E. Differences in Health-Related Quality of Life among Patients with Heart Failure. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2024; 60:109. [PMID: 38256370 PMCID: PMC10818915 DOI: 10.3390/medicina60010109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Heart failure (HF) is characterized by a progressive clinical course marked by frequent exacerbations and repeated hospitalizations, leading to considerably high morbidity and mortality rates. Patients with HF present with a constellation of bothersome symptoms, which range from physical to psychological and mental manifestations. With the transition to more advanced HF stages, symptoms become increasingly more debilitating, interfere with activities of daily living and disrupt multiple domains of life, including physical functioning, psychological status, emotional state, cognitive function, intimate relationships, lifestyle status, usual role activities, social contact and support. By inflicting profuse limitations in numerous aspects of life, HF exerts a profoundly negative impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). It is therefore not surprising that patients with HF display lower levels of HRQOL compared not only to the general healthy population but also to patients suffering from other chronic diseases. On top of this, poor HRQOL in patients with HF becomes an even greater concern considering that it has been associated with unfavorable long-term outcomes and poor prognosis. Nevertheless, HRQOL may differ significantly among patients with HF. Indeed, it has consistently been reported that women with HF display poorer HRQOL compared to men, while younger patients with HF tend to exhibit lower levels of HRQOL than their older counterparts. Moreover, patients presenting with higher New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class (III-IV) have significantly more impaired HRQOL than those in a better NYHA class (I-II). Furthermore, most studies report worse levels of HRQOL in patients suffering from HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) compared to patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF). Last, but not least, differences in HRQOL have been noted depending on geographic location, with lower HRQOL levels having been recorded in Africa and Eastern Europe and higher in Western Europe in a recent large global study. Based on the observed disparities that have been invariably reported in the literature, this review article aims to provide insight into the underlying differences in HRQOL among patients with HF. Through an overview of currently existing evidence, fundamental differences in HRQOL among patients with HF are analyzed based on sex, age, NYHA functional class, ejection fraction and geographic location or ethnicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Ventoulis
- Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Western Macedonia, Keptse Area, 50200 Ptolemaida, Greece; (E.T.); (A.K.); (K.G.)
| | - Vasileios Kamperidis
- First Department of Cardiology, AHEPA University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, St Kiriakidi 1, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Maria Roselle Abraham
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center of Excellence, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA; (M.R.A.); (T.A.)
| | - Theodore Abraham
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center of Excellence, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA; (M.R.A.); (T.A.)
| | - Antonios Boultadakis
- Emergency Medicine Department, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Rimini 1, Chaidari, 12462 Athens, Greece; (A.B.); (J.P.); (E.P.)
| | - Efthymios Tsioukras
- Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Western Macedonia, Keptse Area, 50200 Ptolemaida, Greece; (E.T.); (A.K.); (K.G.)
| | - Aikaterini Katsiana
- Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Western Macedonia, Keptse Area, 50200 Ptolemaida, Greece; (E.T.); (A.K.); (K.G.)
| | - Konstantinos Georgiou
- Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Western Macedonia, Keptse Area, 50200 Ptolemaida, Greece; (E.T.); (A.K.); (K.G.)
| | - John Parissis
- Emergency Medicine Department, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Rimini 1, Chaidari, 12462 Athens, Greece; (A.B.); (J.P.); (E.P.)
| | - Effie Polyzogopoulou
- Emergency Medicine Department, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Rimini 1, Chaidari, 12462 Athens, Greece; (A.B.); (J.P.); (E.P.)
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