Abstract

BackgroundThe Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) is the most widely used measure of quality of life (QoL) in HF patients. This prospective study aimed to assess the relationship between QoL and exercise capacity in HF patients.MethodsThe study subjects were 118 consecutive patients with chronic HF (62 ± 10 years, 57 females, in NYHA I-III). Patients answered a MLHFQ questionnaire in the same day of complete clinical, biochemical and echocardiographic assessment. They also underwent a 5 min walk test (6-MWT), in the same day, which grouped them into; Group I: ≤ 300 m and Group II: >300 m. In addition, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF), divided them into: Group A, with preserved EF (HFpEF) and Group B with reduced EF (HFrEF).ResultsThe mean MLHFQ total scale score was 48 (±17). The total scale, and the physical and emotional functional MLHFQ scores did not differ between HFpEF and HFpEF. Group I patients were older (p = 0.003), had higher NYHA functional class (p = 0.002), faster baseline heart rate (p = 0.006), higher prevalence of smoking (p = 0.015), higher global, physical and emotional MLHFQ scores (p < 0.001, for all), larger left atrial (LA) diameter (p = 0.001), shorter LV filling time (p = 0.027), higher E/e’ ratio (0.02), shorter isovolumic relaxation time (p = 0.028), lower septal a’ (p = 0.019) and s’ (p = 0.023), compared to Group II.Independent predictors of 6-MWT distance for the group as a whole were increased MLHFQ total score (p = 0.005), older age (p = 0.035), and diabetes (p = 0.045), in HFpEF were total MLHFQ (p = 0.007) and diabetes (p = 0.045) but in HFrEF were only LA enlargement (p = 0.005) and age (p = 0.013. A total MLHFQ score of 48.5 had a sensitivity of 67% and specificity of 63% (AUC on ROC analysis of 72%) for limited exercise performance in HF patients.ConclusionsQuality of life, assessment by MLHFQ, is the best correlate of exercise capacity measured by 6-MWT, particularly in HFpEF patients. Despite worse ejection fraction in HFrEF, signs of raised LA pressure independently determine exercise capacity in these patients.

Highlights

  • The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) is the most widely used measure of quality of life (QoL) in Heart failure (HF) patients

  • Study population We studied 118 consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of congestive HF with ischemic or non-ischemic aetiology, who were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class I-III, and were referred to the Clinic of Cardiology, University Clinical Centre of Kosovo, between December 2014 and September 2016

  • Results interpretation MLHFQ irrespective of its components; physical or emotional seems to be a good measure of exercise capacity, since it correlated strongly with the Minute walk test (6-MWT) distance in the HF group irrespective of ejection fraction (EF)

Read more

Summary

Introduction

The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) is the most widely used measure of quality of life (QoL) in HF patients. This prospective study aimed to assess the relationship between QoL and exercise capacity in HF patients. Few studies investigated the relationship of QoL with exercise capacity and breathlessness, which showed that QoL correlated with limited exercise and higher NYHA class [24, 25]. In those studies the relationship of QoL and LV EF remains not certain [25,26,27]. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the relationship between MLHFQ and exercise capacity in HF patients

Methods
Results
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call