Abstract
Aims: Recent advances in therapy led to a significant decrease in mortality and morbidity after myocardial infarction (MI). However, little is known about quality of life (QoL) after MI.
We examined heart failure (HF)-related quality-of-life (QoL) impairment, its trajectories, and determinants after MI. Methods: Data from a single-center prospectively designed registry of consecutive patients hospitalized for MI at a large tertiary cardiology center were utilized.
At 1 month and 1 year after hospital discharge, patients completed the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ). Results: In total, 850 patients (aged 65 +- 12 years, 27% female) hospitalized between June 2017 and October 2020 completed KCCQ at 1 month after discharge.
Of these, 38.7% showed HF-related QoL impairment (KCCQ <= 75). In addition to characteristics of MI (MI size, diuretics need, heart rate), comorbidities as renal dysfunction and anemia were associated with QoL impairment.
Of the 673 eligible, 500 patients (74.3%) completed KCCQ at 1 year after MI. On average, QoL improved by 5.9 +- 16.8 points during the first year after MI (p < 0.001); but, in 18% of patients QoL worsened.
Diabetes control and hemoglobin level at the time of hospitalization were associated with QoL worsening. Conclusion: Two out of 5 patients after MI present with HF-related QoL impairment.
In addition to guideline-directed MI management, careful attention to key non-cardiac comorbidities as chronic kidney disease, anemia and diabetes may lead to further augmentation of the benefit of modern therapies in terms of QoL.