Heart Failure Symptoms and the Relationship Between the Symptoms and Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional, Correlational Study

Diagnosis of symptoms and elucidating their association with quality of life in patients with heart failure may contribute to more effective symptom management and enhancement of quality of life. This study aimed to examine symptoms of the patients with heart failure and the relationship between the symptoms and quality of life. This cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted with a convenience sample of 242 patients in a training and research hospital. Data were collected using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Heart Failure (MSAS-HF) and the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ). Descriptive statistics and hierarchical linear multiple regression analysis were used for data analysis. The mean prevalence of the symptoms experienced by the patients was 15.14±6.52. The physical symptoms with the highest prevalence and burden were fatigue, difficulty breathing when lying flat, and shortness of breath, while the psychological symptoms with the highest prevalence and burden were nervousness, uneasiness, and anxiety. The physical and psychological symptoms were found to have a significant relationship with the total (p < 0.001; p=0.026, respectively) and physical (p < 0.001; p=0.004, respectively) quality of life. However, the physical symptoms were not found to be significantly related to the emotional quality of life (p=0.156). The prevalence and burden of symptoms are high among patients with heart failure, and both physical and psychological symptoms have a significant relationship with total quality of life. Applying self-care and other intervention strategies can contribute to easing symptoms and improving quality of life and other patient outcomes.