The clinical relevance of quality of life in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction.

Aims: Patient reported outcomes (PROs) are gradually being incorporated into daily practice to assess individual health-related quality of life (QOL). However, despite accumulating evidence of the prognostic utility of heart failure (HF)-specific QOL indices, evidence on the generic QOL score is scarce, especially in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
Methods and Results: Patient data were extracted from the Prospective mUlticenteR obServational stUdy of patIenTs with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (PURSUIT HFpEF) study. EuroQol 5 dimensions 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) data were obtained at discharge to evaluate patients' health-related QOL. The study population (n = 864) was divided into tertiles based on their EQ-5D-5L index as follows: low EQ-5D-5L 0.038-0.664 (n = 287), middle EQ-5D-5L 0.665-0.867 (n = 293), and high EQ-5D-5L 0.871-1.000 (n = 284). A total of 206 patients died over a mean follow-up period of 2.0 ± 1.2 years. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the risk of mortality increased with the tertile of the EQ-5D-5L index (34% vs. 23% vs. 14%, P < 0.001). Cox multivariable analysis revealed that patients with EQ-5D-5L index in the low and middle tertiles had a significantly greater risk of mortality than those with EQ-5D-5L index in the high tertile [low EQ-5D-5L: adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 1.81 (1.12-2.92), P = 0.002, middle EQ-5D-5L: adjusted HR 1.91 (1.21-3.03), P = 0.006]. Among the dimensions of EQ-5D-5L, mobility (P = 0.014), self-care (P = 0.023) and usual activities (P = 0.008) were significant factors associated with all-cause mortality after multivariable adjustment.
Conclusions: EQ-5D-5L is useful tool for risk stratification in patients with HFpEF.
(© 2022 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Cardiology.)