QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH ATRIAL SEPTAL DEFECT

Background : The aim of the study was to assess the quality of life in  patients with ostium secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) which is one of the most common congenital heart disorders in adult population. Methods :  The study group included 48 patients with ostium secundum ASD qualified for transcatheter device closure. The control group consisted of  50 patients  chosen representatively among healthy population in terms of gender and age. The quality of life assessment in both groups was based on Symptom Checklist-90 questionnaire and subsequent analysis employed  Statistica 10 software (StatSoft Inc.), Mann–Whitney U-test and  Spearmanu0027s rank correlation coefficient. Results : The study group had significantly higher scores in 4 out of 9 quality of life indicators (somatizations obsessions, depression, anxiety) which denotes lower quality of life. For the whole study group there was  significant correlation in interpersonal hypersensitivity and depression. Furthermore, in the ASD group women demonstrated lower quality of life than men. Conclusions :  Quality of life in patients with ASD clearly deviates from normal. Comparison of the groups of men and women showed that the defect has more significant impact on the quality of life in the latter.  Quality of life decreases with age in female patients.