Primary Disease, Sex, and Racial Differences in Health-Related Quality of Life in Adolescents and Young Adults with Heart Failure

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important clinical and research trial endpoint in adult heart failure and has been shown to predict mortality and hospitalizations in adult heart failure populations. HRQOL has not been adequately studied in the growing pediatric and young adult heart failure population. This study described HRQOL in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with heart failure and examined primary disease, sex, race, and other correlates of HRQOL in this sample. Participants in this cross-sectional, single-center study included adolescent and young adults with heart failure and a parent/guardian. Patients and their parent/proxies completed the PedsQL, a well-established measure of HRQOL in pediatric chronic illness populations. HRQOL is impaired in AYAs with heart failure resulting from dilated, hypertrophic, or other cardiomyopathy, congenital heart disease, or post-transplant with rejection/complications. Patients identifying as white endorsed poorer total HRQOL than non-white patients (p = 0.002). Subscale analysis revealed significant correlations between female sex (p = 0.01) and white race (p = 0.01) with poorer self-reported physical functioning. Family income was unrelated to HRQOL. Functional status was strongly associated with total (p = 0.0003) and physical HRQOL (p < 0.0001). Sociodemographic and disease-specific risk and resilience factors specific to HRQOL in AYAs with heart failure include primary cardiac disease, race, sex, and functional status. Building upon extensive work in adult heart failure, utilization, and study of HRQOL as a clinical and research trial outcome is necessary in pediatric heart failure. Developing targeted interventions for those at greatest risk of impaired HRQOL is an important next step.