Differences in quality of life in men and women with ischemic heart disease - A prospective controlled study

A study was conducted in Sweden in 1989-1992 to evaluate differences in qua lity of life (QL) in consecutive male and female patients after acute myoca rdial infarction (AR/LT), coronary artery by-pass grafting (CABG) and percu taneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Somatic and psychological dimensions of QL were assessed by self-administered questionnaire in patie nts one month (n = 376) and one year (n = 349) after the cardiac event. Nor mal controls (n = 88) were. used for comparison. Differences between gender groups, as well as between study patients and controls in somatic and psyc hological dimensions of QL were studied. Patients were shown to experience poorer QL when compared with demographically similar controls, especially a t the one-month assessment. Female patients had poorer QL after one month ( in general health, feeling of arrythmia, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, experience of sex life) and after one year (general health, anxiety, depres sion) compared with male patients. In all dimensions of QL, a proportion of patients (19-45%) experienced a decrease in QL from the one-month to the o ne-year assessment occasion. Healthcare workers concerned with secondary pr evention must be aware that QL differs between male and female patients in several dimensions after a cardiac event. These findings should be taken in to account in the clinical management of patients, particularly for female patients who may need special attention.