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[Assessment of three activity questionnaires in patients with heart failure]
Alejandro J Jordán1, Miguel García, José V Monmeneu
1Sección de Cardiología, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Spain. ajprdant@cona.es
Insights
The Dyspnea-Fatigue Index best correlates with peak oxygen uptake in heart failure patients, outperforming other common activity questionnaires. While slightly better than the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Classification, the latter is simpler to administer.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- The New York Heart Association Classification is widely used but poorly correlates with peak oxygen uptake in heart failure.
- Accurate assessment of functional capacity is crucial for managing heart failure patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the correlation of different activity questionnaires with peak oxygen uptake in heart failure patients.
- To identify the most reliable questionnaire for assessing functional capacity in this population.
Main Methods:
- Eighty-three patients (69 with heart failure) underwent interviews for the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Classification, Dyspnea-Fatigue Index, and Specific Activity Questionnaire.
- Peak oxygen uptake was measured using the Naughton treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise test.
Main Results:
- All three questionnaires showed significant correlation with peak oxygen uptake (p < 0.001).
- The Dyspnea-Fatigue Index demonstrated the highest correlation (r = 0.44).
- The Canadian Cardiovascular Society Classification (r = 0.39) and Specific Activity Questionnaire (r = 0.38) showed slightly lower correlations.
Conclusions:
- The Dyspnea-Fatigue Index is a more accurate measure of functional capacity than the New York Heart Association Classification.
- The Canadian Cardiovascular Society Classification offers a practical alternative due to its ease of use, despite a slightly weaker correlation.
Abstract:
The activity questionnaire most frequently used in heart failure, the New York Heart Association Classification, does not correlate well with peak oxygen uptake. The correlation of this variable with other activity questionnaires was analyzed in 83 patients (69 with heart failure and 14 control patients), 61.5 11 years old, who were interviewed and classified according to the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Classification. The Dyspnea-Fatigue Index and functional capacity according to the Specific Activity Questionnaire were determined for each patient. Subsequently, the treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise test (Naughton) was performed and the following correlations with peak oxygen uptake were found: Canadian Cardiovascular Society, r = 0.39; Dyspnea-Fatigue Index, r = 0.44; Specific Activity Questionnaire, r = 0.38. p < 0.001 for all three. The Dyspnea-Fatigue Index yielded the best correlation, although it was only slightly better than the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Classification, which is easier to obtain.