Abstract

LEMOS H, Mariantonia; AGUDELO V, Diana M.; ARANGO L, Juan C.  and  ROGERS, Heather L.. Quality of life in patients with coronary heart disease: trajectory analysis by sex and depression symptoms. Rev. Fac. Nac. Salud Pública [online]. 2013, vol.31, n.1, pp.110-116. ISSN 0120-386X.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate Quality of Life (QOL) trajectory in Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) patients by analyzing the influence of variables such as gender and depression.   METHODOLOGY the sf-36 was administered to a sample of 100 CHD inpatients. Additionally, the same instrument was administered to them every 6 months for two years following hospital discharge. Multilevel analyses were used to analyze the QOL trajectory of these patients. Similarly, the influence of depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and patient sex was included in the physical component of the QOL.   RESULTS : the physical component of the QOL of CHD patients tended to improve overtime, with men showing higher scores than women. Moreover, depression symptoms were associated with lower scores at the moment of the cardiac event, but they also affected trajectory by producing a significant decline in this component in comparison to patients without depression.   CONCLUSION: the QOL of patients with CHD had a tendency improve and stabilize itself some months after the cardiac event. This trajectory tends to decline for depressed patients and is different for each sex, since women had lower levels of QOL.

Keywords : Cardiovascular disease; quality of life; depression.

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