Predictors of 1 Year Mortality and Mode of Death in 1033 Elderly Outpatients with Heart Failure: Data from Italian Network on Congestive Heart Failure

ability to perform basic (BADL) and instrumental (IADL) activities of daily living, cognitive function (SPMS), self-perceived heath-status (SPHS) and QoL (MLHFQ: total score (TS), physical dimension (PD) and emotional dimension (ED) scores).Results: The mean MLHFQ-TS was 34 -4-19, the MLHFQ-PD score was 14.7 4-8.7 and the MLHFQ-ED score was 8.07 4-5.7.Two pts (1%) were no able to answer the questionnaire.All 3 MLI-IFQ scores correlated: 1) directly with: NYHA class, symptoms score, number of hospital admission, Charlson index and bad SPHS; 2) inversely with: social-environmental conditions, IADL/BADL scores, cognitive function and years of education.At multiple regression analysis, the variables independently associated with both MLHFQ-TS and MLFHQ-PD were: bad SPHS (p < 0.00001 and p < 0.00001), symptoms score (p = 0.0032 and p < 0.00001), number of hospital admission (p = 0.0003 and p = 0.0047), IADL/BADL score (p = 0.0003 and p < 0.00001) and low education level (p = 0.0004 and p = 0.031).The variables independently associated with MLHFQ-ED were: Charlson comorbidity index (p = 0.0027), bad SPHS (p < 0.00001) and low education level (p = 0.0025).Conclusions: The MLHFQ appears to be a useful and reliable method of QoL assessment also in elderly people, and correlates significantly with clinical, cognitive and social-environmental factors that influence QoL.