Use of the “Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire” Quality of Life Questionnaire in Kosovo’s Heart Failure Patients

Abstract

Background and aim: Quality of life (QoL) is one of the most important end-points in heart failure (HF) patients. The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) is the most widely used measurement for assessing the QoL in HF patients. We used this questionnaire to evaluate the QoL in HF patients in Kosovo. Methods : The study subjects were 103 consecutive HF patients (63±10 years, 56 female) admitted in outpatient or in-patient clinics at University Clinical Centre of Kosovo. At the moment of evaluation the patients were clinically stable and on optimized drug therapy. Results: The overall median score of MLHFQ was 51 (mean 50±18). Female patients had higher total (p=0.015), emotional (p=0.022) and physical (p=0.019) MLWH compared to male patients. Te total MQLQ score had good correlation with 6MWT distance (p<0.001), but not with the level of NTproBNP level (p=0.364). Significant relationship was found also between MLWH and NYHA functional class in HF patients (p=0.002 for total, p=0.026 for emotional, and p<0.001 for physical MLHF score). NYHA functional class also significantly correlated with 6MWT distance (p<0.001 for both). Conclusions : The Albanian version of the MLHFQ proposed in this study proved to be valid for HF patients and served as a new and important instrument for assessing QoL in Kosovo’s patients. The MLHFQ was mildly higher in our patients compared with previous studies and was higher in female patients. The questionnaire score correlates with functional NYHA class, reflecting the severity of the disease, and with 6 minute walk test, reflecting exercise capacity.