Improvement in quality of life differs between women and men after coronary artery bypass surgery.

OBJECTIVE

To study improvement in quality of life (QoL) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in relation to gender.

BACKGROUND

Women generally report worse QoL after CABG than men. However, women are older and more symptomatic prior to surgery, which should be considered in comparative analyses.

METHODS

We studied consecutive patients who underwent CABG between 1988 and 1991 [n = 2121] with a QoL questionnaire containing the Physical Activity Score, the Nottingham Health Profile and the Psychological General Well-being Index prior to, 3 months, 1 year and 2 years after surgery.

RESULTS

Females were older than men with more concomitant diseases preoperatively. QoL was improved on all postoperative occasions for both sexes. Improvement in the Physical Activity Score was somewhat, although not significantly, greater in males. Improvement in the Nottingham Health Profile was greater in females. General well-being showed no consistent pattern for improvement.

CONCLUSIONS

QoL is significantly improved after CABG in both sexes throughout follow-up. There is a complex association between improvement in various aspects of QoL and gender.