[Utility of the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire for assessing quality of life in heart failure patients]. / Utilidad del Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire en la evaluación de la calidad de vida en enfermos con insuficiencia cardiaca.

ABSTRACT

The Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLWHFQ) was used to evaluate the quality of life of patients with heart failure, both before and 6 months after an educational intervention. The study included 99 patients (70 male) with a mean age of 78 years. Significant correlations were found between the MLWHFQ score and the SF-36 score (r=0.41, P=.01), the Barthel Index score (r=-0.23, P=.02), New York Heart Association functional class (r=0.37, P=.01), and the number of readmissions within 6 months (r=0.47, P< .002). Following the intervention, the MLWHFQ score decreased by 34 points (P=.0001). The MLWHFQ score appears to be a useful measure: there were good correlations with functional class and the SF-36 score, and the measure was sensitive to changes in health since there was also a correlation with the patients' prognosis.