Improvement in various estimates of quality of life after coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with and without a history of hypertension.

Abstract

To describe various estimates of the quality of life (QOL) prior to and for 2 years after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for patients with a history of hypertension compared with nonhypertensives. Patients in western Sweden in whom CABG had been performed between 1988 and 1991 participated. Their QOL was estimated from the Physical Activity Score, the Nottingham Health Profile, and the Psychological General Well-being Index. All three questionnaires detected a significant improvement in QOL already at 3 months, which persisted at 1 and 2 years both for hypertensive and for nonhypertensive patients. With the Physical Activity Score and the Psychological General Well-being Index the improvement in QOL of hypertension patients was less marked 3 months after the operation compared with that of nonhypertensives (P < 0.05). Two years after the CABG improvement was less marked for hypertensive patients than it was for nonhypertensive patients in terms of the Physical Activity Score (P < 0.01). With the Nottingham Health Profile the improvement was similar for hypertensive and nonhypertensive patients at each evaluation after the operation. With all three measures the results indicated that hypertensive patients had a worse QOL that did nonhypertensive patients. However, in a multivariate analysis considering other risk indicators simultaneously, a history of hypertension did not appear as an independent risk indicator for an adverse QOL 2 years after CABG. There was a significant improvement in various QOL estimates after CABG both for hypertensive and for nonhypertensive patients. The degree of improvement tended to be less marked for hypertensive patients than it was for nonhypertensive patients, especially 3 months after the operation and concerning physical activities. Hypertensives had a worse QOL than did nonhypertensives. However, the differences were small and could mainly be explained in terms of factors other than hypertension.