Clinical profile and quality of life of hospitalized patients with decompensated heart failure:

cross-sectional analysis of a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Heart failure (HF) is associated with several comorbidities and complex treatment, compromising patients’ quality of life (QoL). Objective: to evaluate the profile and QoL of patients with decompensated HF at the time of entry into an educational health intervention. Method: Cross-sectional observational study nested within a randomized clinical trial. Patients aged >18 years admitted to a hospital in Porto Alegre were included. The Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) instruments were applied. Results: Sixty-five patients were evaluated, with a mean age of 64.5±13.1 years; 56.9% were male. The mean BMI was 27.0±5.2 kg/m2, and the mean WC was 98.8±15.1 cm. Ischemic etiology was the most common (50.8%), the mean LVEF was 38.1±18.0%; 66.2% had HFrEF, 47.7% were in functional class III, and 84.6% had a hot and humid clinical-hemodynamic profile. In the KCCQ score, patients who already had a diagnosis of HF had a higher score in Social Limitation (p=0.043), compared to those diagnosed during hospitalization. In patients with NYHA IV, the Physical Limitation score (p=0.003), the Frequency (p=0.022) and Severity (p=0.044) subitems of the Symptoms domain, the Total Symptom Score (p=0.014), and the Quality of Life score (p=0.030) were lower than the scores of patients with NYHA I. The majority were classified as having no anxiety (55.4%) and no depression (75.4%). Conclusions: patients with NYHA IV vs. I presented lower scores in the Physical Limitation, Symptoms (Frequency and Severity) and Quality of Life domains, in addition to the Total Symptom Score. LVEF and levels of anxiety and depression showed no significant differences in relation to the QoL of patients with HF.