Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data from 147 ACS patients aged less than 45 years were analysed.
Results: The mean age was 39.1 (4.9) years, the male to female ratio was 3:1; 21.2% of patients presented with unstable angina, 58.5% had non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and 20.4% had ST elevation myocardial infarction. The most frequent risk factor of ACS was dyslipidaemia (65.3%), followed by hypertension (43.5%). In total, 49.7% of patients had inpatient complication(s), with the most common being heart failure (35.4%), followed by arrhythmia (20.4%). The significant factors associated with ACS complications were current smoking [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 4.03; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.33, 12.23;P-value = 0.014], diabetic mellitus [AOR 3.03; 95% CI: 1.19, 7.71;P-value = 0.020], treatments of fondaparinux [AOR 0.18; 95% CI: 0.08, 0.39;P-value < 0.001] and oral nitrates [AOR 0.18; 95% CI: 0.08, 0.42;P-value < 0.001].
Conclusions: Smoking status and diabetes mellitus were modifiable risk factors while pharmacological treatment was an important protective factor for ACS complications in young patients.
Methods: This study took place at the National Heart Institute and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, between March 2013 and March 2014. A self-administered 75-item HFQOL questionnaire was designed and administrated to 164 multi-ethnic Malaysian HF patients. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to assess the instrument's construct validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were used to determine internal consistency.
Results: A total of 33 out of 75 items were retained in the final tool. The HFQOL questionnaire had three common factors-psychological, physical-social and spiritual wellbeing-resulting in a cumulative percentage of total variance of 44.3%. The factor loading ranges were 0.450-0.718 for psychological wellbeing (12 items), 0.394-0.740 for physical-social wellbeing (14 items) and 0.449-0.727 for spiritual wellbeing (seven items). The overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.82, with coefficients of 0.86, 0.88 and 0.79 for the psychological, physical-social and spiritual wellbeing subdomains, respectively.
Conclusion: The HFQOL questionnaire was found to be a valid and reliable measure of QOL among Malaysian HF patients from various ethnic groups. Such tools may facilitate cardiac care management planning among multi-ethnic patients with HF.
METHODS: Out of 105 patients with IHD, 76 completed self-administration of HeartQoL at the clinic followed by at home within a 2-week interval. In retest, patients responded using non-interview methods (phone messaging, email, fax, and post). Phone interviewing was reserved for non-respondents to reminder.
RESULTS: Reliability of HeartQoL was good (intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.78-0.82), was supported in the Bland-Altman plot, and was comparable to five studies on MacNew of similar retest interval (MacNew-English = 0.70-0.75; translated MacNew = 0.72-0.91). Applicability of its standard error of measurement (0.20-0.25) and smallest detectable change (0.55-0.70) will depend on availability of normative data in future.
CONCLUSION: The reliability of HeartQoL is comparable to its parent instrument, the MacNew. The HeartQoL is a potentially reliable core IHD-specific HRQoL instrument in measuring group change.