Health-related quality of life in men and women who experienced cardiovascular diseases: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study

Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are among the most common causes of death worldwide, including in Iran. Considering the adverse effects of CVDs on physical and psychosocial health; this study aims to investigate the association between experience of CVDs and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adult participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS). Methods The participants of this cross-sectional study were 7009 adults (>= 20 years) who participated in the TLGS during 2014-2017. Demographic information and HRQoL data was collected through validated questionnaires by trained interviewers. HRQoL was assessed by the Iranian version of the SF-12 questionnaire. Data was analyzed using the SPSS software. Results The mean age of participants was 46.8 +/- 14.6 years and 46.1% of them were men. A total of 9.0% of men and 4.4% of women had CVDs. In men, the mean physical HRQoL summary score was significantly lower in those with CVDs compared to those without CVDs (46.6 +/- 0.8 vs. 48.5 +/- 0.7, p > 0.001). In women, the mean mental HRQoL summary scores was significantly lower in those with CVDs compared to those without CVDs (42.8 +/- 1.0 vs. 45.2 +/- 0.5, p = 0.009). In adjusted models, men with CVDs were more likely to report poor physical HRQoL compared to men without CVDs (OR(95%CI): 1.93(1.32-2.84), p = 0.001); whereas for women, the chance of reporting poor mental HRQoL was 68% higher in those with CVDs than those without CVDs (OR(95%CI): 1.68(1.11-2.54), p = 0.015). Conclusion The findings of the current study indicate poorer HRQoL in those who experienced CVDs compared to their healthy counterparts with a sex specific pattern. While for men, CVDs were associated with more significant impairment in the physical dimension of HRQoL, women experienced a similar impairment in the mental dimension of HRQoL.