Determinants of an impaired quality of life five years after coronary artery bypass surgery

Abstract

Objective: To identify determinants of an inferior quality of life (QoL) five years after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Setting: University hospital.

Participants: Patients from western Sweden who underwent CABG between 1988 and 1991.

Main outcome measures: Questionnaires for evaluating QoL before CABG and five years after operation. Three different instruments were used: the Nottingham health profile (NHP), the psychological general wellbeing index (PGWI), and the physical activity score (PAS).

Results: 2121 patients underwent CABG, of whom 310 died during five years' follow up. Information on QoL after five years was available in 1431 survivors (79%). There were three independent predictors for an inferior QoL with all three instruments: female sex, a history of diabetes mellitus, and a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Multivariate analysis showed that a poor preoperative QoL was a strong independent predictor for an impaired QoL five years after CABG. An impaired QoL was also predicted by previous disease.

Conclusions: Female sex, an impaired QoL before surgery, and other diseases such as diabetes mellitus are independent predictors for an impaired QoL after CABG in survivors five years after operation.