Health-related Quality of Life in Men and Women who Experienced Cardiovascular Diseases: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study

Abstract Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are among the most common causes of death worldwide, including in Iran. Considering the adverse effects of CVDs on physical and psychosocial health; this study aims to investigate the association between CVDs incidence and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adult participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS). Methods: The participants of this cross-sectional study were 7009 adults (≥20 years) who participated in the TLGS during 2014-2017. Demographic information and HRQoL data was collected through validated questionnaires by trained interviewers. HRQoL was assessed by the Iranian version of the SF-12 questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS software.Results: The mean age of participants was 46.8±14.6 years and 46.1% of them were men. A total of 9.0% of men and 4.4% of women had CVDs. In men, the mean physical HRQoL summary score was significantly lower in those with CVDs compared to those without CVDs (46.6±0.8 vs. 48.5±0.7, p >0.001). In women, the mean mental HRQoL summary scores was significantly lower in those with CVDs compared to those without CVDs (42.8±1.0 vs. 45.2±0.5, p =0.009). In adjusted models, men with CVDs were more likely to report poor physical HRQoL compared to men without CVDs (OR(95%CI): 1.93(1.32-2.84), p=0.001); whereas for women, the chance of reporting poor mental HRQoL was 68% higher in those with CVDs than those without CVDs (OR(95%CI): 1.68(1.11-2.54), p =0.015). Conclusion: The findings of the current study indicate poorer HRQoL in those who experienced CVDs compared to their healthy counterparts with a sex specific pattern. While for men, CVDs were associated with greater impairment in the physical dimension of HRQoL, women experienced a similar impairment in the mental dimension of HRQoL.