Marital status, quality of life, and clinical outcome in patients with heart failure

AimThis study investigated the impact of having a partner on quality of life (QoL), the number of hospital readmissions, and 9-month survival in patients with heart failure (HF).MethodsThe study population consisted of hospitalized patients with HF. QoL was measured by the Cantril Ladder of Life (0–10) during hospital admission. Clinical data, readmission rate, and number of deaths were registered by patient interview and chart review.ResultsOf the 179 patients, 96 (54%) were married or were living with a partner. Differences in QoL between married patients and those living alone were most pronounced with regard to future expectations of QoL (6.5 vs 5.0, P = .00). However, in a multivariate model QoL was primarily associated with socioeconomic status, age, and gender. Married patients had 12% less events in the 9-month follow-up period compared with patients living alone (P = not significant).ConclusionThis study indicates that most patients with HF who are living alone are mostly elderly women with a low socioeconomic status, who are at risk for recurrent events and a worse QoL.