Quality of life in congestive heart failur patients: comparing with other groups

Congestive Heart Failur (CHF) is one of the most important chronic diseases in the world that the CHF patients are faced with various physical and psychological stressfull factors which leads to decreasing quality of life. The aim of this study was to dtermine quality of life in congestive heart failur patients and compaing with healthy people and other chronic diseases. Also it aimed to evaluate relationship between QOL and severity of disease and demographic variables. In this descriptive research، we evaluated the QOL of 125 CHF patients. Sample were selected by conveince method in medical centers of Maragheh and Bonab. For comparing we used 140 healthy people، 115 hemodialysis patients and 106 stroke patients. Data were collected by two parts questionniare; demographic and Quality of Life of Chronic Patient’s Scale«. Descriptive and inferential analysis (T-Test، Chi Squared Test، Fisher’s Test، Pearson’s Test) by SPSS 15 were used to analyze the data. The results indicate that quality of life in 49. 6%، of CHF patients were desirable، and in quality of life subsecter، social dimension in 83. 2% of patients was desirable، while physical dimension (63/2%) and psychological dimension (63. 2%) in most of the patients were undesirable. From patients characteristics، sex (p= 0/017)، ejection fraction (p = 0/001)، married status (p=0/009)، and educational status (p= 0/027) had significant relationship with QOL. QOL in CHF patients (134/9 ± 21) was similar to hemodialysis (131/3 ± 21)، but was lower than stroke patients (155/8 ± 33/6) and healthy people (155/2 ± 28/2). In regard to low QOl in CHF patients it is suggested that families and health care planner and managers improve quality of life in CHF patients.