The impact of early cardiological rehabilitation on life quality self-evaluation in patients after acute coronary syndrome

Background: The group of patients who experienced an acute coronary syndrome and cardiosurgical procedures is diversified with regard to psychological condition. Organic heart disease leads to reduction in their life quality. Comprehensive rehabilitation may result in subjective improvement of patients' life quality. Aim: The main purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in life quality in patients subjected to cardiological rehabilitation at the health resort hospital. Methods: In this study, an abridged version of WHO life quality evaluation protocol (WHOQOL-BREF) has been used both at admittance and discharge. The number of subjects was 65, including 35 male and 30 female who were being treated at the Early Cardiological Rehabilitation Department in Polanica Zdroj in the second half of 2008. Results: Between the beginning and the end of hospitalisation, no significant differences within the whole examined group have been noted. However, significant differences in the life quality evaluation have been observed at both somatic and psychological plane between men and women. Two times higher number of women with increased quality of live evaluation at somatic and psychological plane has been found at the end of the clinical study. Conclusions: Rehabilitation performed at the health resort hospital leads to advantageous changes in life quality self-evaluation, especially in women.