Abstract
Background: Prognosis in patients with syndrome X (chest pain and normal coronary arteriograms) is good; however, persistent chest pain and functional disability are common in these patients. Accurate assessment of quality of life may be useful for patient management.
Aim: The quality of life status in patients with syndrome X was assessed using a specific questionnaire. This questionnaire was developed and validated for the assessment of quality of life in patients with typical chest pain despite normal coronary arteriograms.
Methods: Ninety consecutive patients were invited to complete both the questionnaire (on two occasions within 2 weeks) and a standardized angina diary. Fully completed questionnaires were received from 66 (73%) patients (mean age 58±8 years, 55 women).
Results: Answers were scored according to a grading system where higher scores indicate worse quality of life. We observed that total scores increased with severity of angina (Canadian Class I, 38±16, II: 93±29, III–IV, 119±23; p<0.001) and correlated with both the number and the severity of chest pain episodes (r=0.50–0.66: p<0.001). In patients who remained clinically stable (n=37) during the 2‐week assessment, test‐retest analysis showed no score differences (87±30 vs. 81±30; p=0.1), while total score increased in patients (n=24) whose symptoms worsened (108±31 vs. 116±31; p < 0.02) and was reduced in those (n=5) whose symptoms improved (55±37 vs. 39±28; p<0.04).
Conclusion: Our study shows that quality of life is significantly impaired in patients with syndrome X and that the specific questionnaire used for assessment is a reliable and sensitive tool for the evaluation of quality of life in patients with chest pain and normal coronary arteriograms.
Keywords: quality of life, chest pain, normal coronary arteriograms, questionnaire, angina, syndrome X
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