Association of patient demographics on quality of life in a sample of adult patients with cardiac arrhythmias.

PURPOSE

Identify predictors of quality of life (QOL) in patients with any form of cardiac arrhythmia (CA).

METHODS

Data from the Medical Panel Expenditure Survey were analyzed from 2004 to 2009. Patients aged ≥18 with any form of CA (identified via ICD-9-CM codes) were included. Primary outcomes included the physical and mental component scores (PCS and MCS) of the Short-Form 12 version 2 (SF-12) and EuroQoL-5D (EQ-5D) utility scores (US version). Patient demographics included insurance status, urban status, geographical region, federal poverty level, education, comorbidities, and disease-related risk factors of CA.

RESULTS

Approximately 5,750,440 individuals had CA. Non-Hispanic Whites had the highest SF-12 MCS (mean 50.9; p < 0.001 across racial groups) and utility scores (mean 0.76; p < 0.001 across racial groups). Patients with both private and public insurance had significantly higher PCS (p = 0.001) and MCS (p < 0.001) in comparison with patients only covered by public insurance. Patients on antiarrhythmic agents had higher SF-12 MCS (51.4 vs. 48.4; p < 0.001) compared to individuals not on antiarrhythmic agents.

CONCLUSIONS

Significantly lower QOL existed in specific subpopulations (e.g., patients with only public health insurance, racial/ethnic minorities, and those not exposed to antiarrhythmic agents) within the CA population.