Persons with diabetes report poorer quality of life the Croatian SF 36 health study
AIM The study was aimed at determining quality of life (QOL) in patients with diabetes using the SF 36 Health Survey, and comparing it with that in patients with cardiovascular diseases/risks and healthy individuals. METHODS Data obtained from the Croatian SF 36 Health Survey of 9070 examinees were estimated on entire adult Croatian population using individual weight scores. Physical and mental health dimensions (PF Physical Functioning, RP Role Physical, BP Bodily Pain, GH General Health, VT Vitality, SF Social Functioning, RE Role Emotional, MH Mental Health) and the overall QOL self evaluations were analysed in 4 groups: patients with cardiovascular diseases/risks hypertension, stenocardia, myocardial infarction, heart insufficiency, stroke, hyperlipidemia (CD) diabetes mellitus (DM) diabetes and cardiovascular diseases/risks (DM_CD) and healthy individuals (HI) Some known QOL mediators (age, gender, financial status, education, employment) were considered during the analysis. Data on diseases/risks were anamnestic. RESULTS Negative correlation was found between all QOL dimensions and age (Spearman Rank Correlation test p<0.001) Higher QOL scores were obtained in men compared to women, excepting overall QOL which was lower in men than women (t test p<0.001) Results were also analysed by the age and gender defined subgroups (n=28) The four groups (CD, DM, DM_CD, HI) were significantly different in all QOL dimensions (Kruskal Wallis test p<0.001) HI (n=2084978) CD (n=1096608) DM (n=56543) DM_CD(n=239949) QOL 63.45+ 23.80 56.11+ 26.05 58.75+ 26.97 49.46+ 25.84 PF 85.68+ 22.64 63.16+ 29.34 66.13+ 26.67 54.61+ 29.25 RP 81.64+ 35.15 51.95+ 45.00 59.80+ 44.86 39.09+ 44.30 BP 77.50+ 26.58 58.69+ 29.18 60.70+ 29.25 51.94+ 29.90 GH 67.95+ 20.68 48.69+ 20.44 51.05+ 21.68 41.38+ 20.37 VT 64.12+ 19.26 50.25+ 21.45 55.87+ 22.05 43.86+ 22.68 SF 84.62+ 21.41 70.77+ 27.21 73.46+ 27.71 61.64+ 28.90 RE 83.10+ 34.43 65.86+ 43.89 74.92+ 40.06 53.03+ 46.78 MH 70.50+ 17.71 60.23+ 20.44 63.62+ 18.65 54.91+ 21.30 Data are mean+ SD The lowest scores were obtained in DM_CD examinees, followed by CD and DM, whereas the highest scores were in HI. Differences remained stable across all subgroups. CONCLUSION Diabetes is associated with poorer QOL independently of age and gender. Concomitant cardiovascular disease and risks additionally diminish diabetic patients' quality of life.