Unsatisfactory Quality Of Life Research Articles

Pain Catastrophizing: How Far Have We Come.

The perception of pain is strongly influenced by various social, emotional, and cognitive factors. A psychological variable which has consistently been shown to exert its influence on pain is a cognitive process referred to as pain catastrophizing. Numerous studies have found it to be a strong predictor of pain intensity and disability across different clinical populations. It signifies a maladaptive response to pain marked by an exaggerated negative assessment, magnification of symptoms related to pain, and, in general, a tendency to experience marked pain-related worry, as well as experiencing feelings of helplessness when it comes to dealing with pain. Pain catastrophizing has been correlated to many adverse pain-related outcomes, including poor treatment response, unsatisfactory quality of life, and high disability related to both acute and chronic pain. Furthermore, there has been consistent evidence in support of a correlation between pain catastrophizing and mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression. In this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge regarding pain catastrophizing, with special emphasis on its clinical significance, and emerging treatment modalities which target it.

Quality of life of Venezuelan migrants in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The economic, social, and health crisis in Venezuela has resulted in the largest forced migration in recent Latin American history. The general scenario in host countries influence migrants' self-perception of quality of life, which can be understood as an indicator of their level of integration. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated socioeconomic and health vulnerabilities, especially for forced migrants. We hypothesized that the adverse circumstances faced by Venezuelan migrants during the pandemic have deepened their vulnerability, which may have influenced their perception of quality of life. This study aims to evaluate the quality of life of Venezuelan migrants in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. We assessed the quality of life of 312 adult Venezuelan migrants living in Brazil using the World Health Organization WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment, which was self-administered online from October 20, 2020, to May 10, 2021. The associations of quality of life and its domains with participants' characteristics were analyzed via multiple linear regression models. Mean quality of life score was 44.7 (±21.8) on a scale of 0 to 100. The best recorded mean was in the physical domain (66.2±17.8) and the worst in the environmental domain (51.1±14.6). The worst quality of life was associated with being a woman, not living with a partner, lower household income, and discrimination based on nationality. Factors associated with overall quality of life and respective domains, especially income and discrimination, were also observed in other studies as obstacles to Venezuelan migrants. The unsatisfactory quality of life among Venezuelans living in Brazil may have been worsened by the pandemic during the study period.

Quality of life and adherence to antiretroviral therapy in people living with HIV in the Ceará, Brazil

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of life (QOL) and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in people living with HIV (PLWH) in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. A cross-sectional study with a sample of 385 patients followed-up on an outpatient basis. Interviews were conducted using the Sociodemographic, Epidemiological and Clinical Form, the World Health Organization’s Quality of Life in PLWH Instrument, the Assessment of Adherence to Antiretroviral Treatment Questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed. The odds ratio and confidence interval were calculated, considering P < 0.05 as statistically significant. Of the 385 PLWH, 134 (34.8%) had unsatisfactory QOL which was associated with unemployment (P = 0.0037), monthly income less than the minimum wage (P < 0.0001), sleep disorders (P = 0.0039) and not doing regular exercise (P = 0.0032). Inadequate adherence to ART occurred in 24 patients (6.23%) and was associated with detectable viral load (P = 0.0001) and unsatisfactory QOL (P = 0.0033). QOL was more unsatisfactory for those unemployed and with low income, sleep disorders and sedentary lifestyle. People with detectable viral load and unsatisfactory QOL had more inadequate adherence to ART.

Quality of life in individuals with spinal cord injury treated in tertiary care centers in Nepal

Introduction: Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) constitutes a significant challenge to the quality of life (QoL). People with SCI perceive the overall QoL at a lower level in comparison to normal individuals.&#x0D; Objective: This study aims to access the QoL among individuals with SCI and identify factors affecting the QoL.&#x0D; Methodology: This prospective cross-sectional study was done in Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University Hospital (DH, KUH), and Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Center (SIRC), Sanga, Nepal. All the individuals above 18 years with SCI of at least 3 months from trauma seeking treatment in DH, KUH, or SIRC from June 2019 to May 2021 were included. We utilized the WHO quality of life questionnaires (WHOQOL–BREF) for assessing the QoL.&#x0D; Result: The mean age was 32.95 ± 11.7 years with the majority being males (74.5%). The majority had ASIA Impairment Scale grade A. The social health domain had the highest mean raw and transformed score (13.87 ± 3.13 and 61.7 ± 19.59 respectively). The transformed total QoL score was 50.76±29.76. Only 22 individuals (15.6%) had a transformed total score of &gt; 60 signifying good/ satisfactory QoL.&#x0D; Conclusion: There is a high rate of poor/ unsatisfactory QoL in individuals with SCI in Nepal. Female gender, married status, loss of relative during trauma, ASIA injury severity (AIS) A or B during admission, and no improvement in AIS grade after treatment are significant predictors of poor/ unsatisfactory QoL. Physical health, compared to psychological, social, and environmental health, correlates highest with the transformed total score.

ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION AND ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

We studied 124 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and atrial fibrillation (AF) who were treated in the intensive care unit of Samarkand regional branch of the Republican Specialised Scientific and Practical Medical Centre of Cardiology. To determine the quality of life of AMI and FP patients we developed a software product "Assessment of patients' quality of life and their compliance to treatment". The study revealed that out of 124 patients with AMI and FP 37 (29,8%) patients had unsatisfactory quality of life, 35 (28,2%) patients had satisfactory, 28 (22,5%) patients had good and 24 (19,35%) patients had excellent quality of life. The quality of life was much higher in patients without FP, i.e. 28 (33.3%) patients had excellent quality of life, 30 (35.7%) patients had good quality of life, 19 (22.6%) patients had satisfactory quality of life and 7 (8.3%) patients rated their condition as unsatisfactory. Thus, the results of our study showed that patients with AMI without FP had good QoL in contrast to patients with AMI+FP. This indicates that FP causes deterioration of QOL indicators in the form of increased severity of disease symptoms, restriction of physical activity, disorders in the psycho-emotional sphere. The condition of patients with AMI+FP is assessed as uncompliant, whereas patients with isolated AMI were less compliant. Occurrence of atrial fibrillation paroxysms may have been associated with the lack of compliance to the medications prescribed by the attending physician and reduced quality of life of patients.

Bronchiectasis: morbidity and mortality in Brazil and its impact on hospitalization rates

Objective: To evaluate the morbidity and mortality of bronchiectasis, its interface with the maintenance of hospitalization rates and unsatisfactory prognostic outcomes, as well as the negative impact on Brazilian public health. Methods: The clinical and epidemiological information came from the IT department of the Brazilian Unified Health System - DataSus, from which the required data was filtered through the SUS - CID10 list of morbidities. Information was sought, in absolute numbers, regarding the hospitalization of bronchiectasis patients, such as gender, age, time and cost of hospitalization, care regime, and the number of deaths due to the disease. Results: From the variables found, it was noted that in the period from January 2008 to February 2020, around 24,087 bronchiectasis patients were hospitalized. 65% of the total number of hospitalizations due to the disease consisted of adults, with a large portion in the productive phase (between 20 and 79 years). 84% of the patients sought health units in an emergency mode and 47% used public services at the time of hospitalization. The Brazilian average length of stay in hospital was estimated at 8.1 days and the cost of the service was around R$ 28 million in the twelve years analyzed. Besides, 698 deaths due to bronchiectasis were recorded in Brazil. Conclusions: Diseases such as bronchiectasis are far from the adequate management that chronic lung diseases require. Despite the significant diagnostic evolution, the etiology and treatment of disease is still questionable, providing unsatisfactory quality of life for bronchiectasis patients.

Occupational Burnout, Psychological Status and Quality of Life in Primary Care Physicians Working in Outpatient Settings.

Aim To study features of the psychological status, job burnout syndrome (JBS)m and quality of life (QoL) in outpatient physicians.Material and methods This cross-sectional study was performed at 16 randomly selected municipal outpatient hospitals of Moscow and included physicians (district physicians, primary care physicians, and cardiologists). The participants signed an informed consent form and then filled out a registration card that included major social and demographic (sex, age, education, position) and professional characteristics (specialization, work experience, qualification category), and questionnaires. The degree of job burnout was evaluated with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS), and the presence of anxio-depressive symptoms was evaluated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The level of stress was assessed with a visual analogue scale (VAS) in a score range from 0 to 10. The QoL of physicians was assessed with the short version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (HOQOL-BREF) questionnaire.Results This study included 108 physicians from 16 municipal outpatient clinics aged 24 to 70 years (mean age, 44.0±13.1 years), mostly women (87.0 %). Among JBS components, a high level of emotional exhaustion was observed in 50.0 % of physicians, a high level of depersonalization in 34.1 %, and a severe reduction of personal accomplishment in 37.5 %. A high level of stress (VAS score ≥7) was observed in 66.3 % of physicians; symptoms of anxiety and depression of any degree (HADS-A and HADS-D subscale score ≥ 8) were found in 23.8 and 22.7 % of participants, respectively. 42.0% of physicians evaluated their QoL lower than "good" and 41.6% of physicians evaluated their health condition lower than "good". Most of the studied factors did not significantly depend on the gender and the duration of work, except for emotional exhaustion (55.3 % of women and 16.7 % of men; p=0.0086) and a high level of stress (72.2 % of women and 28.6 % of men; р=0.002).Conclusion The study showed a high prevalence of personal factors that potentially adversely affect the work of outpatient physicians. These factors included high degrees of stress, anxio-depressive symptoms, job burnout, unsatisfactory QoL, and low satisfaction with own health. Management decisions and actions are required to create the optimum psychological climate at the workplace of physicians, to develop new strategies for prophylaxis and correction of their psychological condition, and to implement comprehensive programs for improving the professional environment to maintain and enhance the mental health and to increase the professional prestige of the medical speciality.

Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of demyelinating diseases

Demyelinating diseases, especially multiple sclerosis (MS) is not only medical but also socio-economic issue. Unsatisfactory quality of life and high degree of disability in these patients require the implementation of the advanced treatments, such as stem cell transplantation. Numerous experimental and clinical studies are being conducted, revealing new mechanisms of the action of stem cells in demyelinating diseases. Further research is needed to understand many more aspects of clinical use. This review is devoted to the use of regenerative cell technologies in the treatment of demyelinating diseases, the current state and prospects of the approach to the treatment of such pathology with stem cells.

Does infertility affect the quality of life of infertile women? A study in a gynecology outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital of Kolkata

Background: Infertility, which is an inability to conceive after a prolonged time period, is a neglected domain of reproductive health. Infertility affects couples physically and psychologically and leads to discrimination and stigma in society, especially to women. Various sociodemographic, physiological, and environmental attributes and access to health care may interplay with the quality of life (QoL) of the women afflicted with infertility. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the QoL and its predictors among women diagnosed with infertility. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 247 women diagnosed with infertility and receiving treatment for at least 6 months at a gynecology outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital of Kolkata. Results: The mean (±standard deviation) score of total ferti-QoL was 65.76 (±11.15). Differential mean scores were observed in domains of ferti-QoL such as emotional (58.49 ± 12.75), body/mind (47.67 ± 16.14), relational (78.36 ± 15.51), social (60.71 ± 12.43), core (61.31 ± 12.71), environment (80.09 ± 10.77), tolerability (70.95 ± 11.97), and treatment (76.44 ± 10.36). Nearly half of them also reported abuse in terms of verbal (50.6%) and physical (6.9%). On multivariable analysis, unsatisfactory QoL was significantly associated with age above 32 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.76, confidence interval [CI] = 1.07–7.12), increasing duration of infertility (AOR = 1.46, CI = 1.17–1.82), and presence of chronic diseases (AOR = 2.21, CI = 1.01–4.83). Conclusion: There is, till date, no provision of management for women suffering from infertility in the Reproductive and Child Health Programme. The problem of infertility must be considered as a public health problem, and all policymakers, health administrators, and other stakeholders should come forward with exemplary guidelines specially targeted for providing relief to these affected women in every stratum of the health-care system.

Smart and Age-Friendly Cities in Russia: An Exploratory Study of Attitudes, Perceptions, Quality of Life and Health Information Needs

In Russia, initiatives for healthy ageing have been growing over the last two decades; however, none use an evidence-based (EB) approach. It is proposed that Kazan, a city with a population of over a million in the European part of Russia, has good chances of moving towards age-friendliness and contributing to raising awareness about healthy ageing through Cochrane evidence. One of the eight essential features of age-friendly cities by the World Health Organisation (WHO) directly points to health services. This exploratory study assesses the health information needs of the ageing population of Kazan and the challenges people face in improving their health and longevity. Survey data were used from 134 participants, patients, caregivers and healthcare providers of the Interregional Clinical Diagnostic Centre (ICDC), aged from 30 to over 80 years, and potential associations of the studied parameters with age, gender, quality of life and other characteristics were analysed. Older people (60+) were less positive about their quality of life, took medicines more often on a daily basis (10/16 compared to 29/117 of people under 60), encountered problems with ageing (9/16 compared to 21/117 of people under 60) and rated their quality of life as unsatisfactory (4/14 compared to 9/107 of people under 60). Awareness of EB approaches and Cochrane was higher within health professions (evidence-based medicine: 42/86 vs. 13/48; Cochrane: 32/86 vs. 2/48), and health information needs did not differ between age or gender groups or people with a satisfactory and unsatisfactory quality of life. The minority (10%—13/134) were aware of ageism without age or gender differences. The low awareness calls for the need of Cochrane intervention both for consumers and those in the health profession to raise awareness to contribute to Kazan moving towards an age-friendly city.

Quality of life in a sample of Egyptian renal transplant recipients

BackgroundPoor quality of life has been reported after renal transplantation.So, we aimed to identify the quality of life and its demographic and clinical correlates among Egyptian renal transplant recipients.A cross-sectional observational study of 230 post-renal transplantation recipients (PRTRs) who were recruited from Ain Shams University Specialized Hospital and Nasser Institute nephrology clinics. All cases were subjected to a designed questionnaire for PRTRs, the semi-structured questionnaire for renal transplant recipients and the Arabic version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-100).ResultsAll the PRTRs had unsatisfactory social quality of life (QoL) while 97.8% had unsatisfactory overall QoL; moreover, 92.6% were not satisfied as regards environmental and independence QoL. Psychological dissatisfaction was met in 75.7% of all subjects, whereas the least dissatisfaction rate was the spiritual QoL (15.2%). Younger age groups were the most who complained of unsatisfactory quality of life in all domains except the spiritual QoL. All domains of QoL were found not statistically associated with gender, marital status, or social class. Subjects who received higher education had better psychological and independence QoL. The overall QoL and physical QoL were found to be correlated only with age. The psychological and independence QoL were positively correlated with age, sex, educational level, and occupation while the environmental QL was found to be positively correlated with occupation.ConclusionThe prevalence of unsatisfactory quality of life is quite high among PRTRs. Our findings pointed to the need of recognizing quality of life among renal transplant recipients, and we suggest that mental health professionals should be included in the multidisciplinary team.

Transtornos mentais comuns e fatores associados entre pessoas com hanseníase: análise transversal em Cuiabá, 2018 *

To analyze the occurrence of common mental disorders (CMDs) and associated factors in people with leprosy with complications in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, in 2018. This was a cross-sectional study with people attending Júlio Müller University Hospital. The Self-Report-Questionnaire (SRQ-20) was used. Poisson regression analysis was performed to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Among 206 people with leprosy, CMDs were found in 70.4% (95%CI 61.10;76.67) and were associated with the female sex (PR=1.29 - 95%CI 1.09;1.53), the 26-45 age range (PR=1.52 - 95%CI 1.09;2.11) and the 46-60 age range (PR=1.40 - 95%CI 1.01;1.95), low family income (PR=1.25 - 95%CI 1.05;1.49), and unsatisfactory quality of life in the physical domain (PR=3.03 - 95%CI 1.12;8.19) and the psychological domain (PR=1.91; 95%CI 1.40;2.61). CMDs were frequent and associated with female sex, productive age group, low income and unsatisfactory quality of life. Actions aimed at mental health in this population group are necessary.

The unseen cost of justice: post-traumatic stress symptoms in Canadian lawyers

ABSTRACTLimited research has been conducted on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5; 2013) exposure criterion: ‘work-related exposure to aversive details of traumatic events’. This study investigated the presence and severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology among a national cross-sectional sample of practicing Canadian lawyers (N = 476). Participants were categorized into three groups: no, moderate, and high work-related exposure to potentially traumatic material. As hypothesized, lawyers in the moderate and high work-related trauma exposure groups obtained more elevated (severe) mean scores of PTSD symptoms, psychological distress, and reported a poorer quality of life (p < .05) compared to their unexposed colleagues. An important proportion of lawyers scored above the clinical threshold for probable PTSD (9%), psychological distress (23%), and unsatisfactory quality of life (23%). Trauma-exposed lawyers were 2.62 times (95%CI: 1.12–6.12, p = .027) more likely to meet the probable PTSD threshold than the unexposed lawyers. Congruent with the DSM-5 reformulation of trauma exposure, lawyers exposed to aversive details of traumatic events are at increased risk of developing PTSD symptoms requiring an intervention. Future research using random sampling and face-to-face interviews should be conducted to further establish the human cost of this emerging problem.

Negative Facebook experiences among Taiwanese gay and bisexual men in emerging adulthood: associations with traditional harassment victimization and quality of life.

Purpose: To examine the prevalence of negative Facebook (FB) experiences among gay and bisexual men in emerging adulthood in Taiwan and their association with traditional harassment victimization and quality of life (QOL).Materials and methods: In total, 302 gay or bisexual men aged 20–25 years old with experience of FB use in the preceding year were recruited. We measured the types, severities, and prevalence of negative FB experiences by self-report questionnaires. Traditional harassment victimization experiences were assessed using the adapted form of Chinese-version School Bullying Experience Questionnaire (C-SBEQ). QOL was evaluated by The World Health Organization (WHO) Questionnaire on Quality of Life: Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF). Regression analysis was used to assess respective associations.Results: Among the study participants, 26.5% reported having negative FB experiences in the preceding year. Negative FB experiences were significantly associated with victimization of verbal ridicule and relational exclusion, but not physical aggression or theft of belongings. Negative FB experiences were also significantly associated with unsatisfactory QOL in all domains except social relationships, even the effects of traditional bullying victimization were controlled.Conclusion: Negative FB experiences are closely associated with both real life victimization and QOL in gay and bisexual men. Subjective experiences on social networking sites require consideration in conception of measures to reduce bullying victimization as well as improve QOL in this population.

Duodenum-sparing pancreatic head resections for benign tumors and chronic pancreatitis

Pancreatoduodenectomy is the most common surgery for benign tumors of the pancreatic head and chronic pancreatitis. However, advanced resection and unsatisfactory quality of life in long-term period call into question the propriety of this procedure for benign tumors of the pancreatic head and chronic pancreatitis. Duodenum-sparing proximal pancreatectomy is the current approach. The review is devoted to the main techniques of duodenum-sparing pancreatectomy, outcomes of these procedures and their role in pancreatic surgery.

PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF KIDNEY FUNCTION PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE AND LEFT VENTRICULAR REDUCED EJECTION FRACTION

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a complex clinical syndrome characterized by progressive course, unsatisfactory quality of life, poor prognosis and high incidence of concomitant renal dysfunction (RD). The aim of our work was to study the prognostic value of a number of renal function indicators in patients with CHF and a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Materials and methods. 134 patients with stable CHF and reduced (&lt;40 %) LVEF, II-IVNYHA class were examined. Patients were divided into two groups according to the level of GFR: the first group of GFR&lt;60 ml/min./1.73 m², the second – GFR≥60 ml/min./1.73 m². The average follow-up period was 13.4 months, the maximum was 27.5 months. Results. In 53 patients RD was detected (glomerular filtration rate was ˂60 ml/min/1.73 m²), which was 39.5 %. Patients of both groups did not differ in their main hemodynamic parameters, left ventricular ejection fraction, and pharmacotherapy structure, but were older in age and heavier clinically. After the analysis of survival curves of patients depending on GFR, a group of patients with RD had a significantly worse survival prognosis compared to a group without RD. After adjusting the groups by age and NYHA class, the indicated difference was maintained. The subjects were divided according to median levels: blood urea nitrogen, blood urea nitrogen / creatinine ratio, microalbuminuria, albumin / creatinine ratio in urine. The long-term survival of the formed groups was analyzed. The level of blood urea nitrogen did not significantly influence the prognosis of patients with CHF and reduced LVEF. At the same time, when the groups were divided, depending on the median value of the blood urea nitrogen / creatinine ratio, there was a significantly higher risk of fatal outcome in the group with lower indices. The level of MAU did not significantly affect the survival of patients. In addition, a comparison of the survival of patients with higher and lower values of the albumin / creatinine ratio in the urine revealed a significantly higher risk of death in patients with higher values. Conclusions: 1. The presence of RD (GFR˂60 ml/min/1.73 m²) is observed in 39.5 % of patients with CHF and reduced LVEF and is associated with their worst long-term survival. 2. The BUN and MAU do not have sufficient predictive information about the forecast of long-term survival of the above category of patients. 3. At the same time, the values of the BUN/ Сreatinine ratio ˂24.5 and the ACR ˃12.7 indicate patients with CHF who have a higher long-term risk of death.

The Use of Standardized Measures to Predict and Assess Quality of Life after Laparoscopic Hiatal Hernia Repair

The literature regarding laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair is difficult to interpret because of inconsistencies in describing hernia characteristics and outcome measures. This study was performed to evaluate risk factors for an unsatisfactory outcome after repair using objective definitions of hernia size and a clinically relevant outcome instrument. A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database was conducted over a seven-year period. Data collected included patient demographics and hernia-related variables. Outcomes were defined using a validated quality of life (QOL) instrument. Postoperatively, the mean total QOL score decreased from 22.9 to 5.8 (P < 0.001). In all, 13.8 per cent of patients had unsatisfactory QOL scores postoperatively. Multivariate analysis showed that high gastroesophageal (GE) junction position (P = 0.03) and female gender (P = 0.02) were the only significant factors associated with an unsatisfactory postoperative QOL. Laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair significantly improves QOL. With respect to predicting clinically relevant outcomes, hernias are best characterized by the position of the GE junction. Females with high GE junction position are at the highest risk for an unsatisfactory outcome.

A Review on Quality of Life in Cancer Patients: An Indian Scenario

Cancer is a major public health concern among million of people worldwide and claims thousands of life. The main aim of this review article was to assess the Quality of life (QOL) in Indian cancer patients. QOL is a vital health outcome measure that can only be described in individual terms. It integrates several aspects of life and takes into account impact of illness and treatment. According to the available articles and literature reviews it is found that most of the patients were leading unsatisfactory QOL. Various domains such as physical, psychological, social dimensions etc are affected which in turn influenced the QOL of the patient. Factors such as pain, reduced working capability, and disturbed sleep pattern were significantly found to be affecting the QOL of cancer patients.

Nutritional Deficiency in Patients with Heart Failure.

Heart failure (HF) is the main cause of mortality and morbidity in Western countries. Although evidence-based treatments have substantially improved outcomes, prognosis remains poor with high costs for health care systems. In patients with HF, poor dietary behaviors are associated with unsatisfactory quality of life and adverse outcome. The HF guidelines have not recommended a specific nutritional strategy. Despite the role of micronutrient deficiency it has been extensively studied, and data about the efficacy of supplementation therapy in HF are not supported by large randomized trials and there is limited evidence regarding the outcomes. The aim of the present review is to analyze the state-of-the-art of nutritional deficiencies in HF, focusing on the physiological role and the prognostic impact of micronutrient supplementation.

Assessment of quality of life of cancer patients attending oncology clinic in a tertiary care hospital of Jharkhand, India

Background: Detection of cancer brings many changes in the life of a patient. For some of them it is a life changing experience. This study was done to assess the quality of life of the patients after the detection of cancer. Methods: It was a cross sectional, descriptive and hospital based study. Total duration of study was 5 months (December2014-April2015), conducted in Oncology Department of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Ranchi. A total of 59 cancer patients were selected as study subjects and interviewed by a validated questionnaire. Results: A total of 59 cancer patients were included in the study, of which 26 (44.10%) were males and 33 (55.90%) were females. A majority of the patients (62.7%) were in the age range of 40-60 years. 76.3% of cancer patients were living a below average quality of life. The study population had different types of cancers. Among females 57.6% patients were suffering from CA Breast and among males 34.6% of the patients were suffering from CA lung. Conclusions: Most of the patients who came to the oncology dept. of RIMS, Ranchi during our period of study had unsatisfactory quality of life.