Health Related Quality of Life and Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Psychosomatic Medicine

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) significantly impact quality of life (QOL) and exercise capacity (EC).
• The interplay between EC and QOL in patients with CVD requires further investigation.
• Understanding these relationships is crucial for comprehensive patient care in cardiology clinics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the relationship between quality of life and cardiovascular risk factors in cardiology clinic patients.
• To investigate how exercise capacity, assessed via treadmill testing, correlates with QOL.
• To identify specific cardiovascular risk factors associated with decreased QOL.

Main Methods:

• A total of 153 adult cardiology patients completed the SF-36 Health Survey.
• Data on cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, smoking, obesity, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease history) were collected.
• Physical capacity was objectively measured using a treadmill test and correlated with psychometric questionnaire scores.

Main Results:

• Longer duration on the treadmill exercise correlated with higher scores in physical functioning.
• Treadmill exercise intensity and duration were associated with improved scores in the physical component summary and physical functioning dimensions of the SF-36, respectively.
• The presence of cardiovascular risk factors was linked to a decrease in overall quality of life.

Conclusions:

• Exercise capacity, particularly duration and intensity, is positively associated with physical aspects of quality of life in cardiac patients.
• Cardiovascular risk factors negatively impact quality of life.
• Detailed assessment of quality of life, including mental health factors like depersonalization and PTSD, is recommended for patients with cardiovascular diseases.