Health status and quality of life following cardiac transplantation

There is little information regarding the functional status and quality of life of cardiac transplant patients. This investigation is the largest study describing outcome up to 10 years after cardiac transplantation. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 200 cardiac transplant recipients using the Sickness Impact Profile and a supplementary questionnaire. The response rate was 48%. The median duration post-cardiac transplantation was 2.3 years (range, 0.5 to 9.7 years). The median age was 53 years (range, 27.1 to 68.7). In comparison to previously published studies, our sample of cardiac transplant recipients had worse quality of life than normals, similar scores to cardiac arrest survivors and post-myocardial infarction patients, and better quality of life than patients with low back pain. We found that those not working (44%) reported a lower quality of life. Musculoskeletal-neurologic complaints were highly prevalent, with generalized weakness in 54% responding, fatigue in 42%, and low back pain in 37%. Lower quality of life was found in patients reporting a higher number of musculoskeletal-neurological disorders. We conclude that there are specific areas for rehabilitation intervention in patients post-cardiac transplantation, and suggest areas for future research directed towards enhancing quality of life for cardiac transplant recipients.