Predictors of Health-Related Quality of Life Among Women Participating in an Appointment-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program

BackgroundAn alternative patient-centered appointment-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program has led to significant improvements in health outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease. However, less is known about the effects of this approach on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), particularly for women.ObjectiveWe examined the effects of a patient-centered appointment-based CR program on HRQoL by sex and examined predictors of HRQoL improvements specifically for women.MethodsData were used from an urban single-center CR program at Yale New Haven Health (2012-2017). We collected information on patient demographics, socioeconomic status, and clinical characteristics. The Outcome Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-36) was used to measure HRQoL. We evaluated sex differences in SF-36 scores using t tests and used a multivariate linear regression model to examine predictors of improvements in HRQoL (total SF-36 score) for women.ResultsA total of 1530 patients with cardiovascular disease (23.7% women, 4.8% Black; mean age, 64 +/- 10.8 years) were enrolled in the CR program. Women were more likely to be older, Black, and separated, divorced, or widowed. Although women had lower total SF-36 scores on CR entry, there was no statistically significant difference in CR adherence or total SF-36 score improvements between sexes. Women who were employed and those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were more likely to have improvements in total SF-36 scores.ConclusionBoth men and women participating in an appointment-based CR program achieved significant improvements in HRQoL. This approach could be a viable alternative to conventional CR to optimize secondary outcomes for patients.