Symptom clusters and quality of life among patients with chronic heart failure: A cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Psychology
• Health Sciences

Background:

• Chronic heart failure (HF) significantly impacts patients' quality of life (QoL).
• Understanding symptom patterns is crucial for effective HF management.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated distinct symptom clusters and their independent effects on QoL in HF patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct symptom clusters in patients with chronic heart failure (HF).
• To examine the independent relationships between these symptom clusters and patients' quality of life (QoL).

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional study involving 201 Chinese participants with chronic HF.
• Symptom profiles and QoL were assessed using validated questionnaires.
• Exploratory factor analysis, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression analyses were employed.

Main Results:

• Six distinct symptom clusters were identified: fatigue, dyspneic, discomfort, congestive, ischemic, and emotional.
• These clusters explained 57.508% of the variance in patient symptom experiences.
• Fatigue, dyspneic, congestive, and emotional symptom clusters were significant independent predictors of lower QoL.

Conclusions:

• The identified symptom clusters provide a framework for understanding symptom burden in HF.
• Targeting specific symptom clusters, particularly fatigue, dyspnea, congestion, and emotional distress, may improve QoL for HF patients.
• These findings can inform the development of tailored interventions for enhanced symptom management in heart failure care.